Dear DUSON Community,

The freedom to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and Duke Health wants to make it as easy as possible for the voices of our team members to be heard.

In recent weeks, we reminded everyone of our policy that enables team members to use paid time off to exercise their civic duty, where necessary. We’ve created Duke Votes, a non-partisan resource for learning more about registration, absentee ballots, early voting, and more regardless of where you live in the United States. And we’ve designated the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center as one of your options for early voting, October 15-31. (Depending on your location, other sites may be more convenient for you; click here to find one-stop early voting sites in your North Carolina county.)

Now, to make voting even easier, Duke Health is declaring Election Day a no-meeting day. On Tuesday, November 3, DUHS, the PDC, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing will take a one-day pause from meetings to make it easier for everyone to get to the polls. This decision does not apply to regularly scheduled classes and student simulation lab experiences that will proceed as planned. Please plan to reschedule any meetings set up for that day, and ask your teams to observe the day as well.

When schedules conflict with polling hours, team members are responsible for requesting time off in advance to vote and working with their manager to find a time that is least disruptive to the department or to patient care. Although our standard policy offers two hours to vote, we recognize that many polling places may experience very long lines, so we ask managers to be flexible about time needed at the polls.

Finally, we remind everyone to be protect their health and that of the community by observing physical distancing and wearing a mask.

Making it easy to vote reflects our values and supports our team members in fulfilling their deep commitment to our community. We encourage everyone across Duke Health to take the three steps needed for a healthy democracy: Register, research, vote.

Marion E. Broome, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dean and Ruby Wilson Professor of Nursing, Duke School of Nursing

Vice Chancellor for Nursing Affairs, Duke University 

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Duke University Health System

William J. Fulkerson, Jr., M.D.

Executive Vice President, DUHS

John Sampson, M.D., Ph.D.

PDC President

Mary E. Klotman, M.D.

Dean and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, Duke University School of Medicine