Using Voter Registration to Increase Enrollment Into the Organ and Tissue Registry in New York State

Context: In an effort to increase donation rates, interventions seek to increase the number of residents who are enrolled in the electronic organ and tissue registry. New York State includes an organ and tissue registration field on voter registration forms. Objective: Report the results from voter enrollment drives in New York State seeking to increase voter registration and completed enrollments into the organ and tissue registry. Setting: Cosponsored voter/donation drives taking place across in New York State at various public settings. Participants: New York State residents who completed and submitted voter registration forms at designated campaign sites from fall of 2014 through fall of 2018. Intervention: Voter/donation drives cosponsored by League of Women Voters New York State with Organ Procurement Organizations and Eye & Tissue Banks in New York State. Main Outcome Measures: Number of enrollments to organ and tissue donation registry per drive over 4 project years. Calculation of yield as measured by percentage of enrollments to state organ and tissue registry divided by total number of voter registration forms completed. Results: In all, 754 drives were undertaken over the project period with 6651 residents enrolling into the state organ and tissue registry. The average yield was 27% of completed voter forms resulting in organ and tissue registration; this estimate increased to 34% when prodonation representatives staffed the drives. Conclusion: Use of voter registration form to enroll organ and tissue donors is an effective method to supplement traditional methods to enroll donors.