With Election Day coming up on November 3, OFNHP is encouraging all members to make a plan to vote, learn about the issues on their ballots, and understand how elections affect our rights as healthcare workers and union members.
From hospital staffing laws to workplace safety protections, many of the issues we fight for at the bargaining table are also decided by elected officials in Salem, Olympia, and Washington, D.C. Elections can have a direct impact on our workplaces, our patients, and our ability to advocate for better working conditions.
Here's what you need to know before casting your ballot.
Check Your Registration and Track Your Ballot
Not sure what's on your ballot or whether your voter registration is up to date? Visit AFT's voter information website to check your registration, review what's on your ballot, and find helpful election information.
Both Oregon and Washington allow voters to track their ballots and check their status online.
- Oregon: Track your ballot here.
- Washington: Check your ballot status here.
If you haven't received your ballot by October 21, visit your state's election website to check its status and find information about requesting a replacement.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Make sure you return your ballot on time!
Why Does Our Union Participate in Politics?
Some members may wonder why a healthcare union is involved in elections. The answer is simple: many of the protections we depend on as workers are established and enforced through laws passed by elected officials.
The National Labor Relations Act, which protects our right to organize and bargain collectively, was passed by Congress. The National Labor Relations Board, which enforces those rights, is led by officials appointed through the federal political process. Decisions made in Washington, D.C., can directly affect our ability to organize, bargain, and hold employers accountable for unfair labor practices.
At the state level, elected officials make decisions about issues that directly affect healthcare workers, including:
- Safe hospital staffing: Laws that establish staffing standards and protect patients and healthcare professionals.
- Workplace violence prevention: Protections that help keep healthcare workers safe on the job.
- Unemployment benefits for striking workers: Policies that affect workers' financial security during labor disputes.
- Labor law enforcement: Funding and enforcement authority for agencies like Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and Washington's Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which investigate wage theft and other workplace violations.
- Corporate accountability in healthcare: Laws regulating corporate ownership and the influence of private equity in healthcare, helping protect patient care from decisions driven primarily by profits.
Elected officials can also play an important role during contract negotiations. OFNHP members have seen governors, members of Congress, and local elected officials join picket lines, write letters of support, and call on healthcare employers to bargain fairly.
Our participation in the political process helps ensure that healthcare workers have a voice in decisions that affect our workplaces and communities.
How Does OFNHP Make Political Endorsements?
OFNHP's endorsement process is nonpartisan. Candidates from all political parties have the opportunity to participate by completing our endorsement questionnaire.
Our Political Education and Action Committee (PEAC) evaluates candidates based on their positions and records on issues important to healthcare workers, including labor rights, patient care, workplace safety, and collective bargaining.
Our endorsements reflect the priorities of our union, not a commitment to any particular political party.
Members can review OFNHP's 2026 endorsements, along with additional labor endorsements from the Oregon AFL-CIO and Washington State Labor Council, to learn more about candidates and ballot measures affecting working people.
Do Union Dues Fund Political Candidates?
No. OFNHP's current dues structure does not direct membership dues into PEAC.
Our Political Education and Action Committee is supported through voluntary contributions from members who choose to participate.
Members interested in supporting PEAC can contribute through recurring donations, including as little as one or two dollars per paycheck. These contributions support our union's political education and advocacy efforts in Oregon and Washington.
Learn more about PEAC and become a voluntary contributor.
Make Your Voice Heard This Election
Whether you're voting for the first time or have participated in every election for decades, take a few minutes to review your ballot and make a plan to vote.
We encourage all OFNHP members to check their registration, review the candidates and ballot measures, and talk with their coworkers about the issues affecting healthcare workers.
Our strength as a union comes from members being informed, engaged, and willing to participate in the decisions that shape our workplaces and communities.