Why does The Village, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and one of Connecticut’s largest mental health providers, want to increase voter participation? It’s simple: voting is good for your health. Communities with high voter turnout report better health outcomes, and there’s a mountain of evidence to suggest this is not just a coincidence. Civic participation improves health by building social capital and encouraging coordination and cooperation within a community for mutual benefit. Of course, a high-turnout community is also more likely to have its interests represented when policy is being crafted.
Despite the benefits, more than half of eligible voters in the nation did not vote in 2022. Connecticut’s Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas also wants to increase voter turnout and says a partnership with The Village makes a lot of sense: “It’s so important for us to partner with local organizations and non-profits for many reasons. One, they’re closest to the community. But also, there’s a lot of funding for election infrastructure but not a lot for public outreach and education, so we really rely on these local partnerships to push information out to people. When people are better informed, they’re more engaged.”
We really rely on these local partnerships to push information out to people. When people are better informed, they’re more engaged.
The Village now regularly includes voter registration tables at staff events. We also distribute information about registering and early voting to clients and featured Secretary Thomas on our social media and in our digital communications. Our efforts will continue after Election Day because there is always another election and a need to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. Our health depends on it!
