The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
An analysis of the connection between health outcomes and voting disparities shows Ohio is suffering from barriers to both health and voting access.
The nonpartisan coalition Healthy Democracy Healthy People, with researchers from the Network for Public Health Law, updated its Health & Democracy Index this month to compare 12 “public health indicators” and voter turnout with a Northern Illinois University database called the Cost of Voting Index to study the impact of health on voting in each state.
“States that have more barriers to voting – and lower rates of voter participation – have worse public health outcomes,” the study found.
The COVI studies state registration deadlines and restrictions, convenience in voting, voter ID laws, polling hours and ability for early voting.
Public health indicators included in the research included reports of health from adults, disability benefits rates in each state, along with mortality rates, chronic disease prevalence, insurance access, and the number of physicians per capita, according to the study.
Researchers found an improvement generally in public health indicators after 2020, which is helpful for those who want to express their opinions on local issues, choose elected officials who represent their needs and could push forward measures to impact a voters ability to access things like health clinics and services.
“Being healthy means people can physically vote and have the time and energy to follow voting processes and make voting decisions,” the study stated.
“This tends to impact people with low incomes and lower education levels, and people of color more than other population groups,” the study stated, adding that the result becomes “an underrepresentation of these communities in important policy decisions that shape health and wellbeing.”
Ohio’s infant mortality rate has remained a source of criticism since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but racial disparities in infant mortality have persisted even afterward, something the Health & Democracy Index research said could be addressed with better health and voting policy.
“For instance, rates of infant mortality are higher among Black and American Indian communities than white communities, but this disparity shrinks for all racial and ethnic groups in states that have better civic health and voter participation,” according to the research.
Ohio hit the mark on mail options for elections, including absentee ballots, and the state was recognized in the research for it’s post-incarceration voting rights restoration. It was not included in the study’s analysis of “inclusive registration,” such as automatic voter registration, same day and election day registration.
The state landed on the negative end of the study’s analysis of restrictive voter ID laws in the country, landing among those who “require additional documentation at the polls, such as photo ID, even after voters have already established their eligibility.”
In recent changes to Ohio’s laws, legislators changed the allowable identification Ohioans can bring to the polls, barring the use of Social Security cards, birth certificates, utility bills or “registration acknowledgement notice” cards from the Ohio Secretary of State, for example.
The legislative changes, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine early this year, also moved up absentee ballot deadlines to four days before Election Day, and eliminated the Monday before the election as an early voting day.
Ohio’s health indicators showed 6.6% of Ohioans reported a lack of health insurance, and 13.5% of households below the federal poverty line in the state.
In terms of civic participation, the study showed 67% voter turnout in the state, and a 77% voter registration rate.
The study recommended breaking the barriers to voting access, which could lead to more support for programs to improve community participation and even health.
“Elections are the largest public events we hold nationally,” the study concluded. “Higher rates of community participation and social contact are linked to higher rates of civic participation and better public health outcomes.”
