Civic engagement is health advocacy. Here’s what you can do

By David Tully
Vice President, Government Relations

Family physicians know that community health is shaped as much by what happens in Washington as by what happens in the exam room. Policy decisions influence whether your patients can access care, afford coverage and live meaningful lives with the resources they need to stay healthy.

Encouraging civic engagement is one of the most direct ways you can help shape these decisions for the better. The AAFP’s renewed partnership with Vot-ER gives you nonpartisan resources to help patients register to vote, understand what’s on the ballot and participate in the democratic process.

The connection between civic engagement and health

Voting is widely recognized as a social driver of health. Decisions made at the ballot box influence the laws, programs and resources that impact everyday life.

That connection is easy for family physicians to see. Voting influences policy decisions that impact how easily patients can get care, what resources are available nearby and other external conditions that affect their health. When everyone gets involved, those decisions are a more accurate reflection of what everyone needs.

Why local elections matter to family physicians

Many of the decisions that influence public health are made far away from Capitol Hill. State legislatures, city councils, school boards and local agencies all help shape the services, programs and policies that patients rely on every day. An individual’s ZIP code can determine everything from how easy it is to get care to what resources are available nearby, making local policy a major part of the conditions that support good health.

Major health care issues will shape the 2026 midterms, and the choices voters make will carry real consequences for patients, practices and communities. You see what these decisions mean for your patients and your practice, and you can bring that experience into the conversation.

Vot-ER voter registration resources for family physicians

The AAFP is proud to renew its partnership with Vot-ER, an organization that highlights the connection between voting and health through physician civic engagement and participation campaigns. Through the partnership, family physicians and residents can access voter education and registration resources they can share with patients.

This partnership is firmly nonpartisan. The AAFP supports legal access to voting and broader voter participation, but does not endorse presidential candidates or political parties. The focus is helping physicians and patients take part in the democratic process.

Check your voter registration

Before looking for ways to help others, I urge you to make sure your own voter information is up to date. Check your voter registration status first, then double-check that you know where to vote, what deadlines there are and what form of ID is required where you live.

How family physicians can get involved locally

Local advocacy starts with understanding what is happening in your community and where your experience can help. It could mean attending a city council meeting, writing a letter to the editor or contacting a state legislator about an issue affecting your patients. Your state chapter can help you stay informed and find opportunities to get involved.

You don’t need to hold a strong political affiliation to get involved. Understanding how local decisions are made and staying connected with your AAFP chapter can help you identify the moments when your voice is needed and decide how to act.

Sharing voter registration resources with your community

As a trusted voice in your community, you are in a strong position to connect patients with reliable civic resources. Vot-ER offers nonpartisan educational materials you can use in your practice and throughout your community to make voter registration information easier to find and understand.

The key is keeping the conversation focused on participation rather than politics. Voter registration resources should help people participate in democracy without pointing them toward a candidate, party or position.

Make your voice heard

I know from working with policymakers that your perspective is exactly what they need: a clear view of how their decisions affect patients, practices and communities. Bring that experience into the conversation. Vote. Stay engaged with your state chapter. Speak up when an issue affecting family medicine comes before your local, state or federal policymakers.

The AAFP is here to help you find the right opportunities and the tools to act on them. What matters most as we approach this November and every election in the future is that family physicians are part of these conversations, because the people making decisions about health care need to hear from the people who deliver it.