HYPOTHESIS: Can medical clinics serving the poor serve as effective centers for voter registration services?
METHODS:a nonpartisan voter registration drive was performed within 2 university-affiliated federally qualified health centers in the Bronx, New York. Patients were approached by voter registration volunteers in clinic waiting areas during a 12-week period.
RESULTS: Volunteers directly engaged with 304 patients. Of the 128 patients who were eligible and not currently registered, 114 (89%) registered to vote through this project. Sixty-five percent of new registrants were aged younger than 40 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Medical clinics serving the poor and disadvantaged can effectively increase voter registration.