There is a consistent relationship between an inclusive, representative democracy and health outcomes as demonstrated in the Health & Democracy Index. Evidence of this relationship serves as a call to action to increase voter access and civic participation as a pathway to healthy, thriving communities. Leading health organizations and institutions are promoting this approach, including Healthy People 2030, the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.
The health sector has an opportunity to both tell the story of what is necessary for health and build the collective influence and political will for the policies that support healthy communities. The health sector can be champions of a representative, inclusive democracy through governmental, organizational, and clinical levers:
Governmental
The health sector can focus efforts within health agencies to prioritize civic participation and share resources by:
- Naming increasing civic participation as part of community health assessments and health improvement plans.
- Sharing voter registration and education materials in public facing settings.
- Integrating Secure Automatic Voter Registration opportunities into health service applications when relevant.
- Writing reports and providing testimony on the ways to promote inclusive civic participation as a way to improve health outcomes to policymakers.
Organizational
Health professional organizations and nonprofits can promote civic participation and share critical voter information by:
- Educating their members on the critical relationship between health outcomes and an inclusive, representative democracy.
- Passing policy statements that confirm strengthening civic participation as a priority determinant of health, setting the tone for member-based advocacy efforts.
- Passing internal policies and commitments to promote civic and voter participation across their workforce and memberships, such as:
- Sharing nonpartisan voter education in member communications leading up to elections
- Providing time off to vote for paid staff
- Providing voter registration materials during staff orientations and membership events
- Encouraging members to participate in community and organizational decision-making opportunities.
- Partnering with community initiatives to strengthen and protect democracy through advocacy efforts.
Clinical
Health professionals in clinical settings can promote civic participation across their communities by:
- Sharing accurate and nonpartisan voter registration and information in waiting rooms and in conversations with patients.
- Encouraging colleagues and the public to participate in elections.
Our Health & Democracy National Partners:
This work began when health professionals and civic engagement experts responding to the threat of COVID-19 in 2020 deepened their relationships and highlighted new opportunities to improve health by working together to strengthen civic and voter participation. . This effort began as Healthy Democracy Healthy People, which merged with Responsive Gov in 2024. Our key national partners include the following organizations:
- American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM)
- American Public Health Association (APHA)
- Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
- Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC)
- National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI)
- Network for Public Health Law (NPHL)
- Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB)
- Trust for America’s Health (TFAH)
- Society For Public Health Education (SOPHE)
- University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
- Vot-ER
We also support state and local teams to strengthen civic and voter participation.