Why this Project?

As Health Educators we know there are behaviors that we can adopt that will make a difference to our health and the health of others.  For instance, we can eat right, exercise, and stay away from tobacco products.  There are other factors that can also impact our health.  Getting an education, living in a sanitary environment, and making a decent living also increase our level of health.  Government also plays a crucial role in individual and community health.  Fluoridation of water, inspection of restaurants, and water treatment are key factors for health and are controlled by the government.  Access to health care in the U.S. is linked to income level and to government policies regarding care and reimbursement.   The government, through its elected and appointed officials, sets policies that impact public health issues, appropriates funds for health care, and helps to direct health education initiatives.  The policies of the government can directly and indirectly influence the health of the public and the viability of the profession.

The purpose of this project is to involve Gammans in helping college students to become more active in voting.  Advocacy for the public’s health and for the profession are recognized as critical functions of health educators.  Teaching students to be advocates for their health should extend beyond the modification of behavioral risk factors and interactions with health care providers to encouraging students to be involved in the political process.  Policies set by government, as noted above, have the potential to greatly impact individual and community health.

WHY VOTE?

Presidential Elections Can Be Close

Do you remember the problem in Florida during the 2000 election?  This was not the first time our country has experienced this type of problem. Have you ever heard of Aaron Burr?  Burr, not Thomas Jefferson, was almost our 4th president.  A problem in the Electoral College caused the election to be decided by the House of Representatives.  Alexander Hamilton used his influence to swing the election in favor of Jefferson.  A few years later, Burr challenged Alexander to a duel and lost both the duel and his life.  

The presidential race of 1876 went to Rutherford B. Hayes, but it almost went to Samuel Tilden.  Tilden won the popular vote by 250,000 votes, but lost the election in the Electoral College.  Jimmy Carter had 2 million more popular votes than Gerald Ford, but almost lost in the Electoral College.  President Kennedy beat Richard Nixon by 1/10th of one percentage point in the popular vote. 

Not Everyone Votes

The importance of voting cannot be understated.  U.S. citizens are asked to vote with more frequency than in other countries.  The entire structure of our government is based on citizens voting for representation, yet most presidential elections are decided by less than 70% of the eligible voting public. Even fewer people vote in off-presidential year elections and local elections.  Look at the U.S. Federal Election Commissions's web page Voter Registration and Turnout 2000 to see how your state measures up in terms of registered voters who vote. 

African-American males (voting since 1870) and all women (given the vote in 1920) exercise their right to vote in higher proportions than the 18-21-year-old age group.  Up until 1971, you had to be 21 to vote in the U.S.  The amendment to the constitution was made because 18-year-olds were being drafted to fight in Viet Nam, but couldn’t vote.  Older citizens vote at much higher rates than citizens in the 18-26-year-old age group. 

Why Aren’t Young People Voting?

• They aren’t registered to vote 

Voter registration is not automatic in most states in the U.S.  To further complicate matters, the registration process varies from state to state.  This may account for the fact that voter registration among citizens in the 18-25-year-old age group is lower than in older populations.  It is interesting to note that roughly 78% of eligible citizens in the U.S. are registered to vote, yet only 66% exercise that right.  In the 18-25-year age group, 60% are registered and only 42% vote.  You don’t need to be a math major to see the disparity here.  For further information regarding     population subgroups who vote, read the factsheet Fast Facts on Young Voters.

• They are apathetic or disinterested in the election

We all need a reason for action.  Since 1972, voting in the U.S. has dramatically fallen off in the 18-25-year age group.  In 1972, 55% of this age cohort voted compared to 40% in the 1996 election.  Among all eligible voters that percentage went from 68% in 1972 to 63% in 1996.  The Viet Nam war is a thing of the past and the novelty of the lowered voting age has worn off since the election of 1972.  Voters need a reason to make the effort to vote, and young people need to understand the importance of the election results to their own lives. 

• They feel that their vote won’t make a difference

Most people wonder whether or not their vote will make a difference.  The answer to that is “Yes, your vote is very important.”  Many local elections are decided by just a handful of votes.  We have also come to know that national elections can be determined by what seems like a small number of votes.  A lesson many of us learned in the 2000 election is the importance of votes in the Electoral College.  The election of the President in the U.S. is not by number of votes, but by strategic winnings of Electoral College votes.  For more about this process, read all about it at the U.S.National Archives web page The U.S. Electoral College.

What can Gammans Do?

Register Voters

In order for college students to vote, they’ll need to be registered.  At present there is quite a gap between registered 18-25-year olds and the entire population of the U.S.  By aiding in voter registration, you will be helping members of your age cohort to prepare to vote.

Educate on the Issues and Enthuse People to Vote

Unfortunately, registration is just part of the problem.  Only 86% of registered voters vote in presidential elections and even fewer vote in off-year and local elections.  Among 18-25-year-old voters, only 72% vote.  In other words, 28% or just over ¼ of registered people in this age group do not get to the polls on Election Day!  People need to know where to vote and how to vote.

Educate that voting does make a difference. 

Ask Al Gore if you want an example of what happens when there is a close vote.  Voting can make a tremendous difference, too, in state, regional, and local elections.  Many local authorities have the power to levy taxes and to implement new laws.   

Why Should Gammans Participate in the Project?

1. This presidential election is important because the administration elected in 2004 will decide on some very pressing health-related issues including:

   • DRAFT AND WAR

   There is discussion about reinstating the draft for 18-26-year-olds because the war on terror has taxed our reservists and the number of re-enlistments is dropping.  To learn more about the U.S. Government's discussions on reinstating the draft, read the Select Service System's 2004 Annual Performance Plan, and their web page What Happens in a Draft.
   

   • MONEY

   The first of the Baby Boomers will soon reach age 65.  The funding of Medicare is of critical importance to those individuals who will likely aid in paying for the costs through their taxes on earnings.  Additionally, most people in this age group have baby boomer parents who will need to use the system that is rumored to be on the path to insolvency by 2019 (to learn more about this problem read CBS's web story on medicare).  
   

   • JOBS

   Licensing of the public health workforce is an important issue.  Legislation regarding this has already been introduced in the Senate. How will the U.S. train and certify the next generation of public health workers and what impact will the wave of retirements have on the health of the public?  The American Public Health Association web site has more information on this issue.  
   

   • SEX

   The President will likely choose 3-4 Supreme Court Justices.  The Supreme Court has heard cases on abortion (e.g., Roe v. Wade), birth control, and sexuality.  The Legal Information Institute at Cornell University maintains a web site with information on historic supreme court decisions. Review this list of historic decisions and think about how many of the decisions are health-related. For more information on any of the historic decisions, follow the link provided at the Legal Information Institute's web site.

2. Advocacy for the profession and for the public’s health are mandated in Code of Ethics for the profession of Health Education.  Read more about the value placed by key health education organizations on advocacy at The Health Education Advocate web site.  

3. Voting is at the core of health policy decisions that impact the health of  the public. Informing others about the power and importance of voting is one way to put your health education skills to work.  We need to teach individuals about the importance of voting for short-term and long-term health.

4. This is an opportunity to use our community organizing skills to aid in helping individuals to exercise this fundamental right of citizenship. 

5. Statistics show that young, newly registered voters are likely to vote (this does not hold true for other age groups). Eta Sigma Gamma chapters on campuses are already set up to work to achieve change on their campuses, and registering new voters can make an important difference in this election.

6. This is an exciting advocacy project that gives your chapter the opportunity to learn how to organize people and get involved in change.  For some great ideas and “how tos” consult the Community Tool Box web site. 

7. Awards and honors may be in your future.  Your chapter’s work on a local voting effort will be eligible for the national Advocacy Project Award which is presented at the Eta Sigma Gamma Annual Meeting each fall.  So, take care to record all that you do (in writing and in pictures) so that, when the time comes, you’ll be able to compete for the advocacy award.  Additionally, we would encourage all of you to write a paper about your activities and submit it for possible publication in the Eta Sigma Gamma Student Monograph or the Vision Newsletter. Talk to your advisor about these two options. 

How Do I Get Started?

Before we get into the specifics of the project, it is important to stress that Eta Sigma Gamma is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, organization and does not support a particular political party or any specific candidates for office. In fact, as a nonprofit organization, IRS rules prohibit ESG from doing any type of partisan activity. This means that while you are wearing your Eta Sigma Gamma hat running a Voting is Healthy activity, you should not be promoting that people vote for a certain candidate, or vote a specific way on a particular issue. As a citizen and health educator, you may have very strong views on issues and candidates. It can be good to have strong opinions, but these views should not be communicated as part of this project. Doing so puts Eta Sigma Gamma at risk for fines and for losing its tax exempt nonprofit status. So, just remember, our goal for this ESG project is to get people registered to vote, and get them out to vote in a fair election process, NOT to influence how they vote.

There are three major parts to the Voting is Healthy project. The buttons at the top of each Voting is Healthy web page will help you navigate among the different parts of the project. Each part, or set of activities, is explained on this web site in an easy to read, step-by-step manner. You and your chapter can choose to do just one or two parts, or become involved in all three.

1. Voter Registration: First, we encourage Chapters to become involved in getting college students registered to vote. Most states have voter registration deadlines in early October, so it is important to get started on voter registration drives right away. 
2. Get Out The Vote: Another important step is getting registered voters to actually go and vote. We call these “Get Out The Vote” or GOTV activities. The Get Out The Vote web page offers many GOTV ideas for you to consider.
3. Watch the Vote: The final step is called monitoring the vote. This step tries to ensure that the election process is fair. One important step ESG Chapters can take is to help educate college students about their voting rights. The Watch the Vote web page will help you learn about your voter rights and will give you suggestions on how to share this information with others.

Will the ESG National Office Help Us?

The ESG National office can help. If you have questions that are not answered on this web site, you can email your questions to Brandy LoPilato, Executive Director of Eta Sigma Gamma. Brandy will refer your email to one of the ESG faculty sponsors who created the Voting is Healthy project, and that faculty sponsor will email you with advice.

Let Us Know if You are Participating!

We would like to know which ESG Chapters are involved with the Voting is Healthy project. If you and your chapter decide to do a Voting is Healthy activity, please email us and let us know!

If you are not a Gamman, but find these pages useful in conducting a Voting is Healthy project or activity, please let us know. We would love to hear from you about how you used this web site.


Please remember that Eta Sigma Gamma is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Eta Sigma Gamma does not support a particular political party or any specific candidates for office. The Eta Sigma Gamma Voting is Healthy project is intended to assist U.S. citizens, especially college students, exercise their right to vote in a fair election process. While participating in the Eta Sigma Gamma Voting is Healthy project you are representing Eta Sigma Gamma, and you should refrain from advocating for political parties, positions, or candidates during these specific activities. In fact, as a nonprofit organization, the IRS prohibits Eta Sigma Gamma from sponsoring partisan activities.