Piedmont Health Services Centers to Offer Voter Registration

Piedmont Health Services, Inc., a private non-profit organization serving the citizens of central North Carolina, launched a voter registration drive for employees and clients of its six centers on Monday, September 8th. The voter registration drive will go through October 10, the last day to register in North Carolina before the Nov. 4 election.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer non-partisan voter registration during this exciting election year,” said Brian Toomey, CEO. “This effort is part of a larger plan initiated by our national association. It has been heartening to see more and more staff members get excited about this program.”

Representatives from each of the six centers were trained by the non-partisan voting rights advocacy group, Democracy North Carolina, on how to conduct a non-partisan voter drive. “It is exciting that six centers, including some in rural locations, now have the tools to register citizens to vote. The center staff members are really fired up. I’ve spoken with several of them since the training, clarifying educational tools available for their use,” said Molly Beacham, Director of Development for Democracy North Carolina, who conducted the training. Democracy North Carolina’s research shows that communities with high voter turn-out also have better economies, better educated residents and lower income disparity. The group is also creating a voter guide and a website to inform voters about candidates and issues so Carolinians can make educated choices.

Zulay Clark, Center Manager of the Prospect Hill Community Health Center in Caswell Co. has a vested interest in the voter registration drive’s success. She has recently earned her citizenship and will be voting in November for the first time. She challenged her co-workers to register as many people as possible between now and the registration deadline.

"I am excited to be involved in this initiative of reaching out to our communities to stress the importance of voting. I also like the idea of creating a voter guide and website to inform voters about candidates and issues,” said Betty Melanson, Public Relations/Marketing for Piedmont Health Services, Inc. “Knowledge is power. People can vote more confidently if they know who they are voting for and why they are voting. I am proud that Piedmont Health Services wants to promote this."

“Health centers like Piedmont Health Services are unique institutions, not just in the health care system, but in the fabric of the communities they serve, each governed by a community board with a patient majority-- a patient democracy," said Marc Wetherhorn, national Advocacy Director for the national Association of Community Health Centers. "That's why health centers are an ideal vehicle for this Community Health Vote initiative. Health centers have the ability to communicate, educate and energize clients by connecting them with public policy decision-makers so that when decisions are made, those decisions will positively and dramatically impact the lives of our clients, people who often feel disenfranchised from the policy making process."