About Voting Matters
Voting Matters was developed in early 2016 by the Alameda County Public Health Department’s Legislative Council to increase voter engagement among Alameda County residents, especially those who belong to historically disenfranchised communities.
Voting Matters leverages the unique and trusted relationships that Public Health Department and Health Care Services Agency staff have with the Alameda County residents they work with to encourage voter engagement. By providing staff with information about voter registration, voter education and an understanding about the impact of voter engagement on health and equity in Alameda County, we are empowering our staff and colleagues to help address barriers that Alameda County residents face when it comes to participating in voting related activities. Promoting voter engagement also helps to build the capacity of staff and local residents to be civically engaged in issues beyond voting that impact the health and well-being of our local communities.
The Voting Matters initiative provides the following:
- information about voting and voter eligibility
- training and opportunities to register new voters and update existing voter registrations
- opportunities to engage with trusted community groups to conduct voter outreach
- nonpartisan resources to learn more about the issues and candidates on November’s ballot
- tools and strategies that aim to build community and civic participation, and that help residents to overcome barriers to voter engagement
What does voting have to do with health?
Your health. Your voice. Your vote.
Voting Matters believes that everyone—no matter who they are—should have the opportunity to reach their highest level of health.
Your Health
Your health depends on more than just medical care. Research shows that health is influenced by the conditions we live in and the experiences we have. And policy--the laws passed by our government representatives and the choices our representatives make about how to spend our tax dollars--shapes our living conditions and experiences. Housing, education, access to jobs and economic opportunity, and even the design of our cities, all have a large impact on our ability to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
Your Voice
Your voice is powerful. We use our voices to express our beliefs. We share our experiences with one another and build community. We speak out in the face of injustice and inequality. And we communicate what resources we need to make our communities healthy and strong.
Your Vote
Your vote matters. Voting is one of the most important ways to make our voices, and the voices of our communities, heard. When we vote, we choose who will represent us and our values at every level of government. We tell our representatives what we need to be safe, healthy, and happy. We hold elected officials accountable for following through on their promises to us. Often, we determine policy ourselves, deciding what laws we want to live by or how public resources should be distributed throughout our communities.
The Alameda County Public Health Department knows that a healthy community is a community that votes. That’s why Voting Matters is committed to helping Alameda County residents improve their health—by weighing in on the issues that matter to them and casting a ballot in the 2020 elections and beyond!