This study examines the association between self-reported health and the
propensity for supporting citizens’ initiatives in Finland. Democratic
innovations such as the citizens’ initiative provide novel ways for
citizens to express their preferences, but whether people in poor health
make use of such possibilities remains unclear. The data come from the
Finnish National Election Study (FNES2015), a cross-sectional
representative sample of the Finnish population. The results suggest
that self-reported health affects the propensity to sign citizens’
initiatives, but the effect depends on age since it mobilizes young
citizens in poor health, whereas the impact on older generations is
negligible.