Recently, voter inequities have taken a spotlight in our country. Many underserved communities, including Camden, have demonstrated increased voting disparities – Camden’s voter registration rate is 10 points below New Jersey’s average, and its participation rate is 20 points below the national average. This shows that Camden is grossly underrepresented in our democratic system.
Last year, the American Medical Association declared that voting is a social determinant of health – the external forces, such as food and housing, that impact a person’s health outcomes beyond their traditional medical care. In fall 2022, Cooper’s Emergency Department and Population Health teams responded to this issue by screening patients for voter eligibility and by supporting registration. This helped many patients begin the voter registration process and showed them that we are committed to serving their overall well-being, including their civic health. But we still need to do more to help our community, including our team members, visitors, and patients.
To address these concerns, we are hosting the first Cooper National Voter Registration Day event. On September 19, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cooper team members and volunteers will host a table in the hospital lobby to support voter registration. People can check their voter eligibility and registration status, and even register to vote! Make sure you stop by on this important day and speak with the team to ensure you’re registered to vote when election season comes around.