8 Votes That Influence Your Health
When people think about elections that shape their health, they often picture a presidential race and stop there. But some of the decisions with the biggest impact on our day-to-day well-being are made much closer to home, by people whose names appear further down the ballot. Midterm elections are where many of these roles are decided, which is exactly why they deserve just as much attention as the years when the presidency is on the line.
Here's a closer look at eight positions on the ballot, and how each one touches the health of your community.
#1: Sheriffs
Sheriffs shape how local law enforcement responds to crisis situations, including how first responders are trained to handle mental health emergencies. The approach a sheriff's office takes can mean the difference between someone in crisis getting connected to care or ending up in the criminal justice system instead.
#2: Commissioners
County and city commissioners introduce and vote on the health policies that affect everyday life, from funding for local parks programs to decisions about community health services. Their votes determine what resources are actually available where you live.
#3: Judges
Judges interpret laws around mental health, substance use, and related issues, and they have discretion in the penalties they impose. Their rulings can shape whether someone struggling with addiction is directed toward treatment or toward incarceration.
#4: Treasurers
Treasurers manage community budgets and decide how resources are distributed to address the concerns that matter most locally. Health programs, like everything else in a community, depend on funding decisions made at this level.
#5: State Attorneys General
State attorneys general have discretion over whether and how to pursue legal action on behalf of their state or community. That discretion has real consequences for public health, from holding industries accountable to enforcing consumer protections.
#6: State-Elected Officials
State legislators introduce and vote on health policy, including funding for research into conditions like Alzheimer's disease. These are the officials who decide what gets prioritized in state budgets year after year.
#7: Federal Legislators
Members of Congress introduce and vote on major health programs and their budgets, including Medicare. Decisions made at this level ripple out to affect millions of people's access to care.
#8: The President
The President signs bills into law, nominates Supreme Court Justices who go on to shape health-related legal precedent, and appoints the cabinet members who lead federal health agencies like the CDC. It's the most visible seat on the ballot, but far from the only one that matters.
Every one of these roles has a hand in shaping the health of our communities, often in ways that aren't obvious until you look closely. That's what makes midterm elections so important. The votes that happen in these "off years" fill many of the positions on this list, and the people elected to them will be making decisions that affect our health long before the next presidential race rolls around.
Voting is one of the most direct ways we can advocate for healthier communities. This midterm season, take a look at your full ballot, not just the top of it, and consider how each vote shapes the health outcomes you care about most.