Public Health Voter and Action
Voting is a powerful way to influence public policies and the health of your community. Understanding the candidates and other ballot measures is important for an informed vote.
Voting Steps:
1: Register to vote
Check Registration Status
Check if you are currently registered here
Pre-register to vote Recommended
- Must be received 15 days before an election
- Register online, by mail, or at your auditor’s office
Same Day Registration
Register to vote in-person, at your polling place, on election day with proof of ID and residence
2: Decide voting method
Vote in Person
Find your polling place and vote in person on election day, bring a valid ID.
Request Absentee Ballot
Allows you to research candidates closely while voting. Learn more here
Vote Absentee in Person
Before election day you can visit your local auditor’s office and fill out the ballot there.
3: Learn how to vote for public health
Learn about the candidates’ and Iowa Ballot Measures’ role in preserving public health.
Resources to Consider
Gov Track
VoteSmart
Ballotpedia
Iowa Legis System
Local News
County Auditor Websites
City Clerk Websites
Learn more below.
4: Vote!
Voting at polls:
- Election Day is Nov. 5th 2024
- Polls are open from 7am to 8pm
- Make transportation plans
- Bring required documents
- Check on friends and family that may need assistance getting to the polls
Voting absentee
- Mail to auditor’s office; must be received 15 days before an election
Hand deliver it to auditor’s office up to 8pm on election day
Identify Key Public Health Issues
Start by thinking about the public health issues that are important to you, like healthcare access, mental health services, or environmental health. Here are a few topics to consider:
How does the candidate plan to…
- Address health disparities in underserved communities?
- Fund public health initiatives, such as prevention, education, and research?
- Support preparedness for future pandemics or public health emergencies?
- Improve access to healthy food in low-income or rural areas?
- Reduce environmental health risks, such as air and water pollution?
- Address rising housing costs and improve housing insecurity and homelessness?
- Address barriers to healthcare access, such as cost, transportation and provider shortages?
- Improve maternal mortality and infant health disparities?
- Improve vaccination rates and combat misinformation?
- Reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer?
- Reduce gun violence and other forms of violence?
Identify Candidates Running in Your District
If you want to vote at the polls, filling out a sample ballot can help you prepare for voting day. You can get a sample ballot from your county auditor’s office; Ballotpedia also has sample ballots, but they might not include all candidates. A simpler option is voting absentee, which saves you time on poll day and lets you research candidates as you fill out the ballot.
Research the Candidates
Platforms
A candidate’s platform shows their goals and promises if they are elected. This can tell you about how they might handle public health issues.
- Some candidates have campaign websites, visit these and look at what they promise about public health and how they plan to deliver on that promise.
- Watch or read transcripts of interviews, debates, or town hall meetings where candidates discuss their positions on health-related issues.
- Search for public statements or press releases where candidates discuss public health. This can include speeches, op-eds, or social media posts.
- Look at who is donating to the candidate’s campaign. Donations from healthcare companies, pharmaceutical firms, or other industries can show possible influences.
Voting Records
If a candidate is currently in or has been in office before, looking at how they voted on different issues can help you understand their views on public health.
Use USA.gov to find current elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels. If city officials are not listed, check your city’s website.
- Use GovTrack to check how federal officials voted on health issues, committee roles, earmarks, misconducts, and political ideology charts. You can sort by issue area, such as “health”, and see the percentage of their sponsored bills on that.
- VoteSmart provides information about federal and state officials. It includes their biographies, voting records, issue positions, interest group ratings, speeches, and campaign funding.
- Visit the Iowa Legislative System to review what bills each legislator has introduced. Choose LEGISLATORS on the top tab, choose either Senators or Representatives, find the legislator you are interested in and click their name. There you will see their committee appointments and contact information. On the right side, under the heading Legislation, you can see what bills and/or amendments they’ve sponsored.
- Check county auditor or city clerk websites to find voting records for local officials. Local news or voter guides could also provide information.
Candidate Forums and Town Halls
Candidate forums and town halls offer direct access to the candidates.
- Prepare questions on public health issues important to you. This is an opportunity to get direct answers from the candidates about how they plan to address these issues.
- Pay attention to how candidates respond to public health-related questions. Do they provide specific plans, or do they speak in general terms? Do they demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues?
Civic Engagement’s Link to Health
Health starts in our communities. Street lights, parks, bus stops – they all contribute to the health of our communities. Too often the decisions about these things are made by people who don’t live in or engage with the community. You can change that.
Civic engagement is about making sure the decisions made about your community are actually good for your community. The choices you make to stay healthy, like good food, exercise, and going to the doctor, are only options for you if you have access to stores that carry fresh food, maintained parks and sidewalks, and reliable ways to get to the doctor.
Do the people making these decisions know your community? Do they know you? They should!
Everything relates to health. Let’s make the healthy choice the easy choice in our communities.
Impact on Health
- Economic Stability
Policies can improve jobs and community resources - Public Education
Improved education systems improve health - Secure Housing
Policies can make affordable and safe neighborhoods - Social Ties
Improves social connection and gives purpose - Food Access
Policies for affordable food and convenient stores - Health Behaviors
Making the healthy choice the easy choice - Access to Care
Decisions about insurance & health programs - Environment and Climate Change
Decisions for clean air, safe water, and public parks - Transit Options
Policies for good roads, sidewalks, and bus stops
Civic Engagement Actions
What Individuals Can Do to Help Improve Community Health
Individuals play a crucial role in improving community health through civic engagement. Here are several nonpartisan ways you can get involved:
- Vote:
- Vote for candidates who support initiatives and policies that will help improve the health and wellbeing of all who live in your community.
- Help family, friends, and neighbors to make a plan to vote and do it!
- Consider running for office!
- Voice:
- Speak up for health issues that affect the community by writing letters to local officials, attending town hall meetings, or joining advocacy groups focused on healthcare access, environmental health, or other relevant topics.
- Advocate for policies and practices that promote health equity and address disparities based on race, ethnicity, gender, income or other factors affecting access to healthcare and health outcomes.
- Share accurate health information from credible sources with friends, family, and neighbors.
- Answer surveys for local health studies or research projects that aim to improve understanding of health issues affecting the community. These are often conducted by your county public health department, clinics, or universities.
- Volunteer:
- Seek opportunities to represent your communities on civic boards or commissions – like the school board, park board, or human rights commission. These are the places where the decisions closest to our communities are made.
- Offer time and skills to local organizations that focus on health-related activities such as community health fairs, vaccination drives, or health education programs.
- Participate in local health-related events, fundraisers, or campaigns organized by community groups, places of worship, non-profits, or healthcare providers.
- Start or join efforts to address specific health concerns in your neighborhood or community, such as safe playgrounds, strong schools, or better access to healthcare services.
Disenfranchisement’s Impact on Civic Engagement
Historical disenfranchisement means that certain groups of people were unfairly kept from having the same rights and opportunities as others. For example, voting rights for marginalized communities were limited through laws and practices such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and voter ID laws. This unfair treatment still has effects on those groups today, affecting policy decisions on health, housing, education, and economic opportunities.
Felony Limitations: Until recently, Iowa was one of the few states that permanently excluded individuals with felony convictions from voting. In 2020, voting rights were restored for most Iowans with felony convictions, however, many remain unaware of the change.
Voter ID Laws: Iowa’s voter ID laws create barriers that decrease voter turnout and reduce engagement in the political process. These laws unequally affect communities of color, low-income, and young voters.
Limiting Voting Hours and locations: In 2024, the Iowa legislature passed a bill that set an earlier deadline for requesting absentee ballots and banned ballot dropboxes. These measures disproportionately affect people living in rural communities, who lack reliable transportation, and/or work in jobs that don’t allow time off for voting.
Education Gaps: Lower civic education quality in schools leads students to be less informed about their rights and less likely to participate in voting and advocacy.
Systemic racism: Communities of color have often faced unfair treatment, making it hard for them to trust the government and political systems. This lack of trust can lead to less participation in voting and community activities.
Economic Barriers: Income and job barriers, such as low wages or working multiple jobs, limit individuals from participating in civic activities. Additionally, Iowa recently cut polling times by 1 hour, impacting those who struggle to take time off.
Solutions: Source: Organizing Engagement
- Embracing the Gifts of Diversity: Civic engagement works best when we recognize and use the unique talents and strengths that everyone in the community brings.
- Realizing the Role of Race, Power, and Injustice: It’s important to understand and talk about how racism and unfair power dynamics affect people’s lives and their involvement in the community.
- Invitation and Listening: We should always include and listen to everyone in the community, especially those who often feel left out.
- Trust-Building and Commitment: Building trust in the community means keeping promises, working together, and making sure everyone has a voice.
- Honoring Dissent and Embracing Protest: We should respect different opinions and support peaceful protests, as they help us learn more about our community and its needs.
- Adaptability to Community Change: Civic engagement requires being open to changes in the community and working together to handle these changes in a fair way.
The Role of Community Health Workers:
Community Health Workers (CHWs), have an opportunity to promote civic engagement. Helping patients understand the impact of their decisions empowers them to take control of their health and contribute to community well-being, addressing social determinants of health for a healthier and more engaged community.
- Discuss the importance of civic engagement and explain how it can improve healthcare access, living conditions, and neighborhood safety.
- Provide information such as resources on voter registration, volunteering opportunities, and local health-impacting issues.
- Organize workshops explaining the connection between civic engagement, volunteering, and health outcomes
- Help patients navigate the voting process and find volunteering opportunities.
- Provide materials on contacting representatives, getting involved in community decisions, and finding suitable volunteering roles.
Government Roles & Health
Executive Branch
Presidents serve four-year terms and are limited to serving 2 terms (8 years)
The President and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) oversee the implementation and enforcement of health laws. Agencies under HHS, like the CDC, NIH, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), play critical roles in public health, research, and regulation.
Governors sign public policy – including health legislation – into law, propose the state budget (including health funding), and oversee state health agencies.
Oversee state health departments that implement state health policies, manage public health emergencies, oversee Medicaid and other state health programs, and enforce health regulations.
Lieutenant Governor: Supports the governor and may take on health-related initiatives.
Attorney General: Enforces state health laws and consumer protection related to health services.
Secretary of State: Oversees elections, which can include health policy referendums.
Auditor of State: Audits state health programs to ensure efficient use of funds.
Treasurer of State: Manages state funds, including those for health programs.
Secretary of Agriculture: Influences policies affecting food safety and public health related to agriculture.
The County Board of Health is responsible for enforcing state health laws and regulations at the county level. They develop policies related to public health, manage county health departments, and oversee public health initiatives.
Chosen by the County Board of Supervisors and includes health experts and community members.
The Sheriff’s Office works with public health officials to handle public safety issues that have health implications, such as substance abuse, mental health crises, and emergency response.
County Auditors, Treasurers, and Recorders handle administrative functions that can impact local health initiatives.
Legislative Branch
U.S. Representatives and Senators work on national health policies, like nationwide funding and regulations.
Iowa has two U.S. Senators elected by all Iowan voters and four U.S. Representatives elected by voters of each district. State Representatives and Senators focus on state-specific health polices, like state budgets and laws that impact public health services and the healthcare system within Iowa.
State Representatives: Serve two-year terms and are elected by voters in specific state legislative districts.
State Senators: Serve four-year terms and are elected by voters in larger state legislative districts.
Iowa has 50 state senators.
Iowa has 100 state representatives.
Health and Human Services Committees in both the Senate and House are particularly influential in health policy.
The Board of Supervisors makes rules and decides how money is spent on public health. They can say yes or no to ideas from the County Board of Health.
They are elected by voters of their county districts
City Councils: Elected officials who manage city health services, sanitation, and public health regulations. They work with local health departments to address community health needs.