In an effort to give Washtenaw County residents the necessary tools to vote, the WHI has released a new Vote for Health toolkit—which includes education around the connection between health and voting access, alongside practical tools to help voters educate themselves before casting their ballot.
Research from the Healthy Democracy, Healthy People initiative shows that states with more inclusive voting policies and greater levels of civic participation have better health outcomes.
Furthermore, the research demonstrates that low voter participation drives health disparities, as barriers become self-reinforcing. People experiencing poor health are less likely to vote because they must manage their health foremost, while healthy people are more likely to have the time, energy, and a greater ability to follow the necessary policies and procedures to vote.
You can access the full Vote For Health toolkit by clicking here.
What’s inside the toolkit:
- Health and the Ballot paper: This informational document highlights the link between health and voting, including access to it.
- Vote for Health flyer: This printable flyer provides information on the connections between voting and health, along with a notice about changes to legislative districts and polling places from recent redistricting. It also includes a link to resources on registering to vote, finding a polling place, requesting an absentee ballot, and getting a sample ballot.
- Social media campaign: To help get the word out and promote the aforementioned materials, we have scheduled several posts related to this toolkit on WHI social media which includes Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Individuals and organizations can help us by following our social media accounts and sharing our original posts!