Student Voter Registration Campaign is a Success
The New York Medical College (NYMC) voter registration campaign, a collaborative multi-club initiative, was a huge success.
The results are in. The New York Medical College (NYMC) voter registration campaign, a collaborative multi-club initiative, was a huge success. NYMC ranked 12th among medical schools in the nation in the number of the voter registration and absentee ballot requests they facilitated as part of the Healthy Democracy Campaign. The final tally was 325—131 voter registration and 194 absentee ballot requests. The Healthy Democracy Campaign is part of a national movement to normalize civic engagement as a dimension of health care.
The Healthy Democracy Campaign is an initiative of VotER and Med Out the Vote sponsored by the American Medical Student Association. Rachel Thommen, School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2024, who initiated the campaign at NYMC, had no trouble gathering support. Members of several student organizations and chapters including the American Medical Association, American Medical Student Association, American Medical Women’s Association, Gold Humanism Honor Society, Graduate Student Association, House of Representatives, LGBTQ Advocacy in Medicine, Latin Medical Student Association, Medical Students For Choice, NYMC Center for Human Rights, Student Accessibility Advocacy Network, SOM Student Senate and Student National Medical Association, as well as several individuals, were involved in the apolitical effort to encourage registration, early voting, returning mail-in ballots at least two weeks prior to Election Day and making plans for voting in-person on November 3.
On-campus student volunteers staffed tables with iPads for online registration in any state and paper registration forms for Westchester County. They also distributed voter registration materials to patients at NYMC-affiliated clinics, hospitals and care centers.
“I am so happy to have been a part of this important initiative and have helped make a difference at NYMC and in the Westchester community,” said Holly Grace, SOM Class of 2023.
