No Question About It: Your Vote Is Important

The holiday season is upon us, and before we ring in the New Year, it’s important to take a step back from our day-to-day activities and reflect on all that we’ve accomplished in 2017.

This has been a challenging year that, frankly, has passed by more quickly than I would have liked. Despite that, our members and staff have risen to the occasion at every turn and left me ample reason to be proud of all that APA has done this year.

And now we need to do something for ourselves or, more specifically, for our profession and our patients. Each of us has a responsibility to make our voices heard in choosing the path that APA takes in the future.

It’s no secret that voter participation in APA elections has been less than ideal. The last time we could boast 50 percent participation in an APA election was 1986. Three decades later, we can and indeed must do better.

The reasons for low turnout in APA elections are a topic for some debate, and I won’t litigate them in this column. Instead, I’ll share some facts with you about APA elections and what it means for you and the future of this organization.

Voting in the APA election is faster than ever. Simply go to psychiatry.org, click on the APA Elections link, and use the same email address and password you use for your APA account to vote. You’ll be taken directly to your ballot.

If you do not have an email address on file with APA, keep an eye out for your paper ballot in the U.S. mail. Complete the ballot and return it in the postage-paid envelope. Have a question or need help? Send an email to [email protected].

The candidates and information about their individual platforms are more accessible than ever as well. In this issue of Psychiatric News, you’ll find the names, photos, and website addresses of all the candidates. Also, their contact information is easily accessible through the APA Elections page. While the candidates are highly qualified for their positions, they are different, and I urge you to take some time to find out which of the candidates most aligns with your vision for the future of APA.

Reach out to the candidates and ask them about the issues you care about. Do you have a passion for research funding? Are you most concerned about mental health parity? Is maintenance of certification the top topic for you? Perhaps you’d like a candidate that is focused on supporting and protecting international medical graduates who come to this country and choose to enter psychiatry?

Whatever issues drive you, you have the power and the means to make an informed choice when voting opens on January 2.

Decades of attending APA gatherings such as IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference, the September Components Meeting, and the Annual Meeting have shown me just how passionate our members are. I know that all of you have distinct opinions about what APA should focus on now and in the future. Part of what makes us great is that we are not a monolithic group, but rather a diverse assembly with differing opinions and ideas on how to achieve the common goal of making the world better for the people we treat every day.

With voter participation rates that have hovered around 21 percent for the last year or so, I can assure you that your vote in APA’s 2018 election will make a difference. Moreover, your vote is one of the best member benefits that APA has to offer. Don’t deprive yourself of it. I urge you to join me in making your voice heard, as you have done all year long, and help steer our organization into the future. ■