Healing the Vote: Recruiting Pre-Health and Health Professions Students for Voter Mobilization

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Professions Education
• Civic Engagement

Background:

• Civic engagement and voting are recognized as crucial social determinants of health by major health organizations.
• Health professionals are underrepresented in voter mobilization, with a notable gap starting in student training.
• Pre-health undergraduate students show lower civic participation rates than social science peers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a model for health care organizations to train and mobilize pre-health and health professions students in nonpartisan voter registration.
• To enhance civic engagement within communities through student-led initiatives.
• To foster a connection between health, civic participation, and community well-being.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of hundreds of volunteers for the Healing the Vote initiative during the 2023-2024 U.S. elections.
• Facilitation of voter resource outreach to over 5,000 community members.
• Implementation of strategies including evidence-based presentations, accessible messaging, incentives, and consistent communication.

Main Results:

• Students participating in the program demonstrated increased personal voter registration.
• The initiative successfully engaged students in community-based voter registration efforts.
• Over 5,000 community members received voter resource outreach.

Conclusions:

• Health care organizations can effectively integrate civic engagement training for students to promote public health and equity.
• Student-led voter mobilization strengthens communities and aligns with the dual mission of health professionals.
• This model offers a scalable approach to enhance civic participation and its positive impact on community health.