SAHM Votes: Providing Resources to Help Get out the Youth Vote
Youth participation in elections is critical and impactful around the globe. This year, as in many other countries, there is an upcoming pivotal election in the United States. As adolescent health and medicine professionals, we have a unique platform from which we can educate our communities, adolescents, young adults and families about the important health benefits of voting. SAHM encourages its members to actively discuss the importance of voting with adolescents and young adults and to offer resources to assist those who are not yet registered to vote.
Voting is a powerful tool through which adolescents and young adults can influence the policies that shape their access to essential resources and opportunities for health. Civic engagement itself has been linked to improved mental well-being among young people. Communities with higher voter turnout often enjoy better access to healthcare services, including mental health support, which is especially crucial given the rising mental health needs of young adults.
Caregivers of adolescents and young adults have an opportunity with each election to role model civic responsibility. Studies show us that parental levels of civic responsibility, both locally and globally, correspond with youth’s future levels of civic responsibility, including voting. When parents and other adults vote, it models civic participation that helps build the world that adolescents grow up in.
The outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November 2024, along with numerous other federal, state, and local elections, will likely have significant implications for the lives of young people in the United States in the coming years. Consider helping the youth you work with registering to vote and empower them to make their voices heard.
Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Resources
Downloadable Flyers
Please contact us should your institution have specific restrictions that might prohibit you from utilizing these flyers. We may be able to customize to adhere to your institutions policies.
SAHM Virtual Session: Providing Resources, Answering Questions to Help Get out the Youth Vote
Session Moderator: Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, SAHM President
Panelists: Dr. Joanna Brown, SAHM Advocacy Committee Chair; Dr. Lisa Barkley, SAHM President-Elect; Dan DeBrakeleer, AAP Chapter Advocacy Communication Specialist; Ishmeet Kaur Dhillon, College Student; Riya Ramakrishnan, College Student
This session features experts and first time voters discussing how best to encourage youth to make their voices heard in both national, state and local elections.
Nonpartisan Voter Registration & Candidate Information
Vot-ER.org is revolutionizing voter engagement by transforming routine healthcare visits into opportunities for civic empowerment, partnering with trusted health professionals, and reaching historically underrepresented communities.
Access a variety of SAHM branded nonpartisan voter registration promotional materials (in both English and Spanish).
Order a free SAHM Voter Registration Badge with a QR code to provide quick access a nonpartisan voter registration information.
Visit Vote.gov to register to vote or update your registration and find answers to common questions about registering and voting.
Vote.org is the largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan voting registration and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) technology platform in America.
National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday dedicated to celebrating our democracy. Includes several non-partisan trusted voting registration resources.
RocktheVote.org – Building the Political Power of Young People
Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics, and the nation’s premier resource for unbiased information on elections, politics, and policy.
Nonpartisan resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to provide pediatricians with the tools they need to cast their ballot and share the importance of voting.
Nonpartisan US Election Information compiled by: