AAP Voices Blog

As we approach this very important Election Day, a childhood memory comes to mind. I’m sitting in my eighth grade social studies class as my teacher Mr. Patterson stands before us, saying (paraphrased): “I don’t care what you do later on, the most important thing you can do when you become an adult is to vote. Not everyone can vote, so when you are able to, you must.”

He was an outspoken man known best for his sarcasm and dry humor, and what struck me that day was just how serious he looked as he shared this statement to his group of 13-year-old students. 

I come from a family of immigrants who believed firmly in “putting your head down and getting the job done.” Politics was never discussed nor appreciated. Neither of my parents were American citizens when I was in school, and so the idea of voting was both foreign and seemingly irrelevant. Yet, even then, something intrigued me about Mr. Patterson’s statement.

It somehow struck a chord and has stayed with me over a decade later. 

I have learned since then just how much policy and politics have affected my life. I witnessed people in my immigrant communities discuss in whispered, worried tones immigration policies and how that might affect their visa statuses. I noticed how housing inequities and other socioeconomic disparities directly dictated the health outcomes of my family members and our friends.

These stories eventually drove me to pursue a profession in public health and pediatrics, because I saw in these  the potential to face and fight the realities of  social determinants of health. 

“We have the opportunity to act as trusted resources in our communities to help our patients and families to vote.”

Simply put, pediatricians must care about voting, because teaching kids and their families about voting matters to their health. Though children cannot vote, they are affected by policy. Issues of housing, education, food security, early childhood development, immigration, and race affect our children as much as they do adults. For this reason, efforts to mobilize the communities that surround our children to be informed and engaged are paramount. 

Additionally, pediatricians recognize that their patient is not just the child but also the family. Our understanding of child health is foundational on the idea that the child is directly impacted by the people, communities, structures, and policies that surround them. With this mindset, pediatricians have the opportunity to engage caregivers on the importance of voting, in order to advocate for their children. In addition, when children see their parents vote, it can help initiate dialogue, foster critical thinking, and promote communication. Parental modeling of civic engagement also has been associated with increased civic engagement in children.

Pediatricians also serve as role models to a very underrepresented voting block: adolescents and young adults. In the 2016 general election, young adults had a 46% turnout rate compared to 71% of elderly citizens. Pediatric providers have many opportunities to model civic engagement to their adolescent patients, including, though not limited to: asking about voting, providing information on voter registration, and sharing opportunities for pre-registration if available in their state. Such modeling may encourage adolescents to think critically about the world around them.

Additionally, civic engagement has also been associated with improved mental health and well-being in adolescents, with social connectedness a potential mediator in this relationship. 

Pediatricians, like teachers such as Mr. Patterson, have the potential to be the impetus that drives patients and families toward civic engagement. This is important now more than ever, as larger forces such as the pandemic, systemic racism, and voter suppression make the act of voting a challenging feat for many. In the midst of these challenges, we as pediatricians are well-positioned to make a difference.

We have the opportunity to act as trusted resources in our communities to help our patients and families to vote. Such opportunities include encouraging patients to vote during a clinic visit, spearheading voter registration campaigns in health care settings, and advocating for increased voter access. Pediatricians can direct parents and caregivers to Vote.org to determine if they are registered to vote and to check mail-in ballot deadlines.

And, fortunately, pediatricians are not alone in this endeavor. There are groups within and beyond the walls of our health centers — such as AAP Vote Kids, VotER, and many others — with whom we can partner in this work. In these dwindling days leading up to the election, the time is now to support voter mobilization efforts in your communities.