LOS ANGELES (Nov. 3, 2020) — Just days after receiving a new heart, Moore was excited to find out he won’t miss the opportunity to vote because he can cast his ballot from his hospital bed.
“This is a great moment,” said Moore, 65. “If you vote, that’s your power and I want to use mine.”
Moore is one of dozens of patients participating in a two-day process that allows them to cast their ballots from Cedars-Sinai. On Monday, Cedars-Sinai employees distributed the application to vote, so that the county registrar’s office can determine their eligibility.
To be eligible to vote, a patient must live in Los Angeles County and be registered to vote. The patient must not already have voted by mail or have had a name change or address change since they registered.
A Cedars-Sinai employee brings the patients’ completed applications to the county registrar’s office for processing. On Election Day, Cedars-Sinai employees pick up the ballots for the eligible patients and bring them to patient rooms.
Patients have time to vote in private before employees pick up the completed ballots and return them to the registrar for counting.
“In every election, we work to help our patients have their voices heard and their votes be counted,” said Camille Camello, director of Volunteer Services, who organized the project. “This year was complicated by COVID-19, but we are committed to helping our patients exercise their right to vote.”
Moore is happy that his heart transplantation didn’t prevent him from taking part in the election.
“When I got the call that they had a heart for me, I thought I would have to sacrifice my vote,” Moore said. “But now I get to have my say.”
Read more from Discoveries magazine: Triumph for Transplants
