District IV Voter Registration Campaign
District IV: Get Out the Vote!
ACOG District IV recognizes the importance of supporting civic engagement among all our members. Voting is a tenet of medical professionalism. The American Medical Association’s “Principles of Medical Ethics” states that “a physician shall recognize a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community.” However, research has shown that physicians have lower adjusted voting rates than other members of the general population, including those in other demanding industries such as lawyers.1 We need your help to fix that.
This year, we are supporting an initiative led by our own Junior Fellows to increase voter participation among trainees—including and especially residents, among the busiest of us all. Goals of our initiative include ensuring that every resident in District IV:
- Is registered to vote
- Knows their options for casting a vote
- Has protected time to vote on Election Day (November 3, 2020)
The District IV Junior Fellow Advisory Council has put together voting guides for each of our states which details registration deadlines for local, state and national elections, as well as general voter resources.
Please consider sharing these resources and making your voice heard!
Want to help get the word out? Contact Meghana Rao (meghanarao126@gmail.com), the District IV Junior Fellow Legislative Chair, or your respective program ambassadors to see how you can get involved in the effort!
State Voter Guides
-
District of Columbia
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and DC residency.
- Deadline: 21 days before an election.
- Register here.
- You can only vote in the party’s primary if you are a registered voter of that party. Independents cannot vote in the party primaries.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: May 12, 2020.
- Presidential General Registration deadline: October 13, 2020.
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is available to ANYONE. Request a ballot here.
- Early voting is available. See dates below.
Where?
1. In person - Find your polling place here.
2. Absentee: Must be received by election day.
3. Early voting is available - Find an early voting center here.When?
Primary
Republican caucus: Saturday, March 14, 2020
Election Day (including Democratic primary): Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Early Voting: Saturday, May 16 through Friday, May 29General
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 7am-8pm
Early Voting: Saturday, October 17, 2020 through Friday, October 30, 2020Next Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Check here for updates on your ACOG State Lobby Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes
-
Virginia
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and VA residency.
- Deadline: 22 days before an election (14 days for a special election)
- Register here.
- You can vote in the primary for the party in which you enroll. Independent? You can vote in either Democratic or Republican primaries in VA.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: February 10, 2020.
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is allowed if you will be out of town on Election Day, have a disability, or cannot vote in person due to religious belief. Apply early via link above. Ballots must be received by 7pm on Election Day.
- Early voting is not allowed for state or Federal elections.
Where?
- In person - Find your polling place here.
- Absentee - see above
- Early - not available.
When?
State
Primary: June 9, 2020
General: November 3, 2020National
Presidential Primary: March 3rd, 2020
Election Day: November 3, 2020Next Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Check here for updates on your ACOG State Lobby Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes
-
Maryland
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and MD residency.
- Deadline: 21 days before an election.
- Register here.
- You can only vote in the party’s primary if you are a registered voter of that party. Independents cannot vote in the party primaries.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: April 7, 2020.
- Presidential General Registration deadline: October 13, 2020.
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is available to ANYONE. Request a ballot here.
- Early voting is available. See dates below.
Where?
- In person - Find your polling place here.
- Absentee: Download your ballot and mail it back. Must be postmarked by election day.
- Early voting is available - Find an early voting center here.
When?
Primary
Election Day: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 from 7am-8pm
Early Voting: Thursday, April 16, 2020 through Thursday, April 23, 2020 from 10am-8pmGeneral
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 7am-8pm
Early Voting: Thursday, October 22 through Thursday, October 29 from 8am-8pNext Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Contact your ACOG Section leaders (Tal Lesser, tlesser123@gmail.com, and Mary Shorey, mary.shorey@umm.edu) if you would like to get involved in ACOG State Lobby Day 2021. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes
-
West Virginia
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and WV residency.
- Deadline: 21 days before an election.
- Register here.
- You can vote in the primary for the party in which you enroll. Independent? You can vote in either Democratic or Republican primaries in WV.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: April 21, 2020.
- Presidential General Registration deadline: October 13, 2020.
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is allowed under certain circumstances (including work hours and distance to site). See list here. Apply for a ballot here before May 6 for the primary election and Oct 28 for the general election. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day.
- Early voting is available. See dates below.
Where?
- In person - Find your polling place here.
- Absentee - see above.
- Early voting - at your county courthouse or judicial annex. Confirm hours and location with your county clerk.
When?
Primary
Election Day: Tuesday, May 12, 2020 from 6:30am - 7:30pm
Early Voting: Wednesday, April 29 through Saturday, May 9General
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 from 6:30am - 7:30pm
Early Voting: Wednesday, October 21 through Saturday, October 31Next Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Check here for updates on your ACOG State Lobby Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes
-
Georgia
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and GA residency.
- Register here.
- You can vote in the primary for the party in which you enroll. Independent? You can vote in either Democratic or Republican primaries in GA.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: February 24, 2020
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is allowed if you will be out of town on Election Day, have a disability, or cannot vote in person due to religious belief. Apply early via link above. Ballots must be received by the day prior to Election Day.
- Early voting is allowed: click here for information on voting places.
Where?
- In person - Find your polling place here.
- Absentee - see above
- Early - for state elections. Must vote in person at allowable polling places.
When?
State
Primary: May 19, 2020
General: November 3, 2020National
Presidential Primary: March 24, 2020
Election Day: November 3, 2020Next Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Check here for updates on your ACOG State Lobby Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes
-
North Carolina
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and NC residency.
- Deadline: 25 days before an election (10 days for a special town election)
- Register here. Online registration not available, form must be completed and mailed to county board of elections.
- You can vote in the primary for the party in which you enroll. Independent? You can vote in either Democratic or Republican primaries in NC.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: February 7, 2020
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is allowed if you will be out of town on Election Day, have a disability, or cannot vote in person due to religious belief. Apply early via link above. Ballots must be received by 5PM on Election Day.
- Early voting is allowed for state elections. Click here for voting sites.
Where?
- In person - Find your polling place here
- Absentee - see above
- Early - for state elections. Must vote in person at allowable polling places - see above.
When?
State
Statewide Primary: March 3, 2020
General: November 3, 2020National
Presidential Primary: March 3, 2020
Election Day: November 3, 2020Next Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Check here for updates on your ACOG State Lobby Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes
-
South Carolina
Who?
You! Our goal is for all eligible ACOG District IV Junior Fellows, Residents and Medical Students to participate in local, state, and national elections in the 2020 cycle.
What?
1. Register to vote!
- You need proof of identification and SC residency.
- Deadline: 30 days before an election
- Register here.
- You can vote in the primary for the party in which you enroll. Independent? You can vote in either Democratic or Republican primaries in SC.
- Presidential Primary Registration deadline: January 30, 2020
2. Vote!
- See below for when and where
- Click here for information on voter resources, calendars, updates and more!
- Absentee voting is allowed if you will be out of town on Election Day, have a disability, or cannot vote in person due to religious belief. Apply early via link above. Ballots must be received by 7pm on election day.
- Early voting is not allowed for state or Federal elections.
Where?
- In person - Find your polling place here.
- Absentee - see above.
- Early - not allowed in South Carolina at this time.
When?
State
Statewide Primary: June 9, 2020
General: November 3, 2020National
Presidential Primary: February 29th, 2020
Election Day: November 3, 2020Next Steps
- Register to vote! And ensure all eligible co-residents are registered as well
- Make a plan for Election Day. Work with your program director for time off to vote. Consider voting early or via absentee ballot.
- Get active! Support political advocacy -- visit Ob-GynPAC's website here and donate. Ob-GynPAC is ACOG's political arm committed to electing state and federal candidates who share our priorities!
- Check here for updates on your ACOG State Lobby Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come!
- Use social media to promote voter registration and voting! #ACOGD4RacetoRegister #ACOGD4Votes