Democracy Happens in the Hospital: Expanding Voter Access for Patients

Hosted January 2025

Hospitals are not just places for medical care; they are also critical spaces for civic engagement. This webinar featured leaders from Vote ER and Northwell Health, who shared how they are implementing patient voting programs to ensure hospitalized individuals can exercise their right to vote.

Expanding Voter Access for Patients

from Rx Foundation’s Power is a Social Determinant of Health series

Session description: Hospitals are not just places for medical care; they are also critical spaces for civic engagement. This webinar featured leaders from Vote ER and Northwell Health, who shared how they are implementing patient voting programs to ensure hospitalized individuals can exercise their right to vote.

This session explored:

The importance of voting as a social determinant of health and how civic participation impacts healthcare policies.
Innovative strategies for implementing patient voting initiatives, including Vote ER’s nationwide approach and Northwell Health’s Vote North program.
The challenges and successes of institutionalizing voter access within hospital settings and how healthcare providers can play a role in increasing civic engagement.

Watch the Recording

Session Highlights

Voting is a public health issue. The American Medical Association and Health Resources and Services Administration recognize voting as a social determinant of health, affecting policy decisions that shape healthcare access and funding.

Hospitalized patients often face voting barriers. Many states lack emergency absentee ballot policies, and patients frequently do not know their rights. Hospitals that proactively provide voter information can bridge this gap.

Institutional support is key. Programs like Vote North require buy-in from hospital leadership, legal teams, and election officials. Administrative backing can help establish voter services as a standard part of patient care.

Technology is an enabler. Vote ER leverages digital platforms to connect patients with absentee ballot requests, making the process more efficient for both patients and hospital staff.

Partnerships strengthen impact. Collaborating with election officials and community organizations ensures a seamless voting process for patients. Hospitals working with civic groups can amplify outreach efforts.

Success stories highlight the importance. Northwell Health’s initiative helped 264 patients vote in 2020 and has since expanded to multiple hospitals. Their approach demonstrates that integrating voter access in healthcare settings is feasible and effective.

Future expansion is necessary. With voter access policies varying by state, ongoing advocacy is needed to institutionalize patient voting nationwide. More hospitals adopting similar programs will help normalize civic engagement in healthcare settings.

Speakers

Erin Smith & Lisa Schavrien

Erin Ainslie Smith, MS, BSN, RNC-MNN, CPST (she/her) is the Clinical Program Manager for the Center for Family Education at Lenox Hill Hospital. She currently overseas all of the prenatal and postpartum educational opportunities offered to patients both delivering at Lenox Hill Hospital and those choosing to delivery elsewhere. Erin believes that having a child is one of the most important things many people will do in their lives, and the thing they are least prepared to do. In addition to her work with obstetrical patients, Erin and her colleague Lisa Schavrien created an in-patient hospital voting program that enables people who are unexpectedly hospital in the days leading up and around election, the ability to vote from their hospital bed. Lisa is an OB Nurse Navigator Lenox Hill Hospital. Their program, VoteNorth, which began in 2018 has grown to be a system wide program at Northwell. Additionally, Erin and Lisa have helped a number of other hospitals, in New York, Georgia, Michigan, and beyond, to start their own in-patient voting programs. For this program, Erin and Lisa were nominated for a President’s Award through Northwell.

Aliya Bhatia

Aliya Bhatia is the Executive Director at Vot-ER and Civic Health Month where she works to bring voter registration into health care settings, including emergency rooms, hospitals, and community health centers.

Dimitri Moise

Dimitri Joseph Moise (they/he) is an award-winning HIV activist and Deputy Director of Student Engagement & Patient Advocacy at Vot-ER. Dimitri leads the national Healthy Democracy Campaign, active in 30+ states, and the Patient Voting program, the only initiative ensuring hospitalized patients can vote from their beds. A 2023 Remember the Ribbon Award honoree, Dimitri’s work focuses on ending the HIV epidemic and addressing systemic inequities.

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