A Case Study in Implementing Voter Engagement in Health Care Spaces

Abstract

Voting is increasingly acknowledged as a social determinant of health. Voter turnout is correlated with self-reported health and influences other social determinants, such as housing and education. Vot-ER, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, focuses on promoting voter engagement within health care settings. This article details a strategy implemented at a large academic medical center to encourage voter registration among both patients and staff. Two internal medicine physicians, after completing the Vot-ER Civic Health Fellowship, utilized existing academic platforms, specifically Grand Rounds presentations to various departments, to emphasize the importance of civic health and introduce Vot-ER tools. This approach successfully engaged colleagues and established a network of health care providers dedicated to voter engagement. To evaluate the initiative, institution-specific QR codes on Vot-ER badge cards were tracked. Between June 2022 and October 2025, 1,282 badge scans resulted in 489 voter registrations. Building on this success and in alignment with the Association of American Medical Colleges’ guidance, an official Vot-ER student organization was formed in September 2023 to further increase voter registration and policy awareness among students and staff. Key lessons learned include the importance of understanding institutional culture and leveraging personal relationships to gain support and legitimacy for such initiatives. This strategy demonstrates a practical approach to integrating civic health into health care practice, with implications for improving community health outcomes through increased voter participation.