Minnesota Public Health Association
Since 1907, MPHA has been dedicated to creating a healthier Minnesota through effective public health practice and engaged citizens.
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Health & Democracy Minnesota Partnership
The Health and Democracy MN Partnership is a statewide independent, nonpartisan coalition of public health and healthcare individuals and organizations that advocate for the protection and strengthening of democracy as a critical driver of population health.
The core team is comprised of dedicated volunteers representing the following organizations and public health areas with advising support from the Institute for Responsive Government:
- Advocates for Better Health
- Minnesota Public Health Association (MPHA)
- Minnesota Society for Public Health Education (MN-SOPHE)
- CHW Concepts, LLC
- Faculty leaders from MN State Colleges and Universities
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Catherine Harrison, RN, MPH, HDMNP Vision
Minnesotans are civically engaged in their representative, constitutional democracy; in support of responsive governance for and by the people, meeting the needs of all residents and resulting in healthier communities.
Mission
To engage organizations and individuals from the health sector to build and protect a robust and inclusive democracy that supports the health of all Minnesotans.
Current Efforts
In 2025, we are working to:
- Strengthen the health sector’s understanding of the connection between population health and voting, civic engagement, and an inclusive democracy.
- Expand and strengthen coalition relationships and partnerships
- Provide opportunities for those in the health sector throughout the state to individually and collectively strengthen their capacity, build power, and serve as leaders in supporting a strong democracy.
- Organize health sector professionals to support a strong democracy through narrative, research and data analysis, as well as strategic actions.
Background & History
- 2022 - Having witnessed the critical importance of safe and accessible voting during the COVID -19 pandemic, a group of committed health leaders came together to shine a light on the importance of voting for health. Using data from the Health and Democracy Index, we sought to tell the story of how voting and health are linked: states with inclusive and accessible voting policies experience better health outcomes.
- 2023 - We began to put the story of voting & health into policy action in support of Minnesota’s landmark voting rights policy, the 2023 Democracy for the People Act. We also continued to build awareness by encouraging voting in local elections and presenting at state and national conferences.
- 2024 - Knowing that the healthcare sector as a whole has lower voter turnout than the general population, we made an internal call to action within our sector through the We Will Vote MN campaign. We called upon individuals and organizations in the health sector to demonstrate their own commitment to inclusive and accessible voting. More than 18 health organizations and thousands of individual health professionals in MN pledged to vote and encourage others to vote in the 2024 election.
What You Can Do |
|  Build political will for inclusive civic and voting policies by conducting and sharing research on health and voting (e.g., Health & Democracy Index).
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Incorporate voter education into your everyday practice using tools such as the Healthy Voting Guides. |
Adopt policies and position statements in your professional, academic, and community organizations to promote civic and voter participation.
Serve as election workers and support organizational policies to encourage co-workers to serve as election workers.
Engage your elected representatives between elections.
Promote inclusive opportunities to register and vote including restoration of voting rights for citizens with past criminal convictions.Resources
Testimony Example
MPHA Member in action! Testimony on the MN SF3 Democracy for the People Act.
Research and Articles