Supporting Candidates this Election Season

As you know, campaign season is in full swing and it is vitally important that we connect with legislative candidates from across the state to build relationships and engage in discussion about full practice authority for NPs. Connecting with the candidates in the weeks prior to the November election will be beneficial as we look toward the next legislative session as well. 

The simplest way to find the names of your local candidates is to visit the State Election Board’s website to view your sample ballot. You will be asked to type in your first and last name and your date of birth. Then you will see the sample ballot with the names of the legislative candidates for your district. Finding their contact information on a Facebook page or by using Google is usually pretty easy after that. 

Reach out to the candidates in your district either by phone or by email and get to know them. Ask the candidates about full practice authority and other health care issues that are important to nurse practitioners. If the candidate does not know about the benefits of full practice authority, take the time to educate them. The FPA Tool Kit for NPs on our website might be helpful for you as you start to think about your talking points and help answer questions the candidate might have. Most importantly, share the reasons why you believe full practice authority is best for Oklahomans.  

Nurse practitioners offer a solution for affordable and accessible healthcare in Oklahoma and if your candidate seems to agree, let us know! Be sure to email AONP Executive Director Benny Vanatta. 

Beyond that, offer to volunteer to help with their campaign. Every campaign needs good volunteers. This time of year, most candidates are out knocking on doors with volunteers every Saturday and many weekday evenings. We have a couple more dates scheduled to volunteer as a group and we would love for you to join us.