What’s Your Plan to Vote?

Abstract

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government & LegalFull AccessWhat’s Your Plan to Vote?Katherine G. Kennedy, M.D.Katherine G. KennedySearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:14 Oct 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.11a21AbstractWhile the media’s spotlight may be on the White House’s future occupant, don’t overlook the critical importance of candidates running at the state level. These days, with gridlock in Washington, D.C., state governments play an increasingly prominent role in deciding crucial health care policy.What’s your plan to vote?That’s the question to ask yourself; your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors; that’s the question to even ask the cashier at the grocery store, the mail carrier, and anyone else you encounter during this socially distanced period in our lives.Creating a concrete plan to vote is critical. Why? Research shows that a plan to vote—far more substantial than an intention to vote—leads to greater voter turnout. A realistic and actionable plan engages us more deeply and increases the likelihood that we will follow through.A plan to vote means identifying the specific details—the how, the where, the when—that you need to cast your vote. Saying “I plan to vote on Election Day” is an intention, not a plan. Saying “I’ll wake up two hours earlier on Election Day so I can walk to my polling place and vote before I catch the train to work” is a specific and concrete plan.If you don’t have a plan to vote, start making one now. This 2020 election cycle—in part due to the pandemic, in part due to other factors—presents more options for how to vote than ever before. Each state possesses its own idiosyncratic set of registration deadlines and ballot request procedures. Some states offer early voting, while others have brand-new provisions for voting by mail, also known as absentee voting. It’s important to pay attention to state guidelines and to follow them carefully to ensure that your vote gets counted.If you feel confused or uncertain about your state’s voting procedures, you’re not alone. To help answer your questions, consult APA’s 2020 Action Center. The Action Center can help you navigate the ins and outs of the 2020 election, with resources to help you register to vote in your state, as well as detailed information about your candidates, both regional and federal. The Action Center features an interactive map; when you click on your state and input your zip code, you’ll find key voter information, such as important state deadlines, the hours and location of your polling place, and what type of ID or other materials you may need to bring with you to your polling place.You can also learn more about those running. Using the interactive map will bring you to the list of candidates, both state and federal, for whom you can cast a ballot. By clicking on a candidate, you can access their biographical data, links to their website, and other helpful materials.Be sure to familiarize yourself with all the candidates running in your district, both state and federal. While the media’s spotlight may be on the White House’s future occupant, don’t overlook the critical importance of candidates running at the state level. These days, with gridlock in Washington, D.C., state governments play an increasingly prominent role in deciding crucial health care policy. Many important initiatives facing our patients and our profession—such as mental health parity and scope of practice—will be determined by state legislatures, not just the U.S. Congress. This September, for example, California’s state legislature passed SB 855, the nation’s strongest mental health and substance use disorder insurance coverage law to date.Notably, APA’s website offers additional information and advice for how to be a physician advocate that goes beyond voting this November. Check out the Advocacy Page, where you’ll see how to sign up for APA Advocacy Alerts, how to join APA’s Congressional Advocacy Network, and information about candidates supported by APA’s Political Action Committee.Why should you vote? This may be the most consequential election in U.S. history. Voting is your chance to shape the future of this country. This is your chance to speak for yourself, your profession, and your patients. So please, exercise your civic duty. Go beyond that, too: Ask others if they have a plan to vote. Don’t let this election pass you by without doing everything you can to make sure that U.S. voter turnout reaches its highest level ever, despite the challenges of a global pandemic. I’ll end where I began: What’s your plan to vote? ■More information on how having a voting plan can increase voter turnout can be found in the study “Do You Have a Voting Plan? Implementation Intentions, Voter Turnout, and Organic Plan Making,” posted here.Information on SB 855 is posted here.Katherine G. Kennedy, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor at the Yale University School of Medicine where she serves as faculty co-leader of the Advocacy Track. She is also chair of the APA Council on Advocacy and Government Relations, trustee of the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Mass, and a member of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry Committee on Psychotherapy. ISSUES NewArchived