A new article in Health Affairs urges states and localities to reduce barriers to voting and improve civic participation to bolster community health. Voting is linked to improved health potentially both by steering the country, state, or locality toward important policy goals and by improving the individual’s sense of hope, community and opportunity.
Two of the authors helped create the Health and Democracy Index, comparing the voting policies and public health outcomes of all 50 states. The voting policies included the difficulty of registering to vote, voter ID laws, and ease of casting a ballot, as well as voter turnout. The public health outcomes included self-rated mental and physical health, mortality, and prevalence of chronic disease. Other factors included poverty and wealth inequality.
The index found that states with more inclusive voting policies and greater levels of civic participation have better health outcomes than states that erect more barriers to voting. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that voting, by itself, improves health. Instead, it shows that there is a relationship between the two that may be circular—people in better health may be more likely to vote, which in turn can improve health outcomes, which can lead to more voting.
Barriers to voting are often most widely felt in communities of color, where long lines, distant polling places, and higher ballot rejection rates are common. This may lead to less willingness to vote, fewer votes cast on important issues, decreasing engagement and hope, and a negative public health outcome.
For the 2024 election season and beyond, potential voters can and should consider many factors, including important health topics. Our fact sheet series, “What’s at Stake,” explores various issues, including potential reforms of Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act that might affect coverage, care, and outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities.
At Medicare Rights, we urge all eligible voters to give thoughtful consideration to the issues and make their voices heard.
Read the Health Affairs article on the importance of voting.
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