Physicians Were Less Likely Than Others to Vote in Prior Elections

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Will physicians vote in the 2016 election? ask the authors of an Annals of Internal Medicine "ideas and opinions" piece. They observe that physician voting rates in elections between 1996 and 2002 were 9 percentage points lower than rates in the general population — and 22 percentage points lower than rates among lawyers.

The authors, acknowledging the lack of current data, suggest several potential explanations for the low physician turnout — for example, unusual work hours can make it difficult to get to the polls. They also offer strategies to promote voting among physicians, such as emphasizing social engagement in medical schools and encouraging clinicians who've voted to tell their colleagues so that they, in turn, feel compelled to vote.

Lastly, the authors call on clinicians to note barriers to voting among their patients, especially those with disabilities, and to help connect patients with resources that may allow them to vote more easily — for example, the American Association of People with Disabilities voter resource center (see link below).