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Vot-ER's Initiative to Register Patients to Vote in Psychiatric Hospitals Sparks Controversy

Aug 6, 2024, 04:18 PM

A growing number of doctors across the United States are registering their patients to vote, including those in psychiatric hospitals. This initiative is led by Vot-ER, a nonprofit organization founded by a staffer of Kamala Harris. The organization aims to target traditional Democratic voting blocs. The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute is among the institutions participating in this effort, which has sparked controversy. Critics argue that hospitals are inappropriate places for voter registration drives, especially those linked to a specific political party. Sally Satel, a lecturer in psychiatry at Yale Medical School, described the practice as a 'contamination of a physician’s role.' Despite the criticism, Vot-ER claims to be nonpartisan and reports that tens of thousands of healthcare professionals are involved in the initiative. The initiative, founded by an emergency room doctor, has turned clinical settings into political battlegrounds.