Advancing health equity through protecting and promoting access to voting

The existence of health disparities is an intractable public health problem. It is unacceptable not only that infant mortality, premature death rates, and disease burden are higher for racial and ethnic minorities such as Black and American Indian communities than they are for the general population but that these disparities persist despite decades of attention from public health. This is in part because while the public health system has begun to focus on the social determinants of health, there is a hesitancy and reluctance to engage in politics and address systems of power. States that make elections more accessible through policies such as automatic and same-day registration, flexible voter ID requirements, felon reenfranchisement, and mail voting options enjoy higher levels of voter participation and stronger public health outcomes. Conversely, communities that face significant barriers to voting suffer worse health outcomes. These barriers can become self-reinforcing because people who are experiencing poor health are less likely to vote and have shorter life spans (and thus fewer opportunities to vote over time) than healthier people. Having an APHA policy statement on voting and health would encourage public health systems to address the political determinants of health and make headway on health equity. Achieving health equity requires ensuring that all people have a voice in the political process. Actions include supporting inclusion of voting and civic participation objectives in the Healthy People initiative, adopting policies to advance civic participation and public health, and integrating voter registration and civic engagement into public health work. (author abstract) #P4HEwebinarMarch2024