Voters split on economy, health care as election approaches
Among voters concerned about health care, however, Joe Biden has an edge.
Likely voters are prioritizing addressing the COVID-19 public health crisis, and its economic effects, and securing insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, according to a survey released Thursday by Commonwealth Fund.
Commonwealth Fund surveyed nearly 7,500 likely voters in 10 battleground states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. The survey was fielded between Aug. 25, and Sept. 20.
Voters in nine of those states said Joe Biden was the candidate most likely to address COVID-19 and its costs, and in all 10 states, voters said Biden was more likely than Donald Trump to protect health insurance coverage.
Related: A look ahead: What the 2020 election could mean for health care
Interestingly, COVID-19 and its costs were of greater concern to voters 34 and younger (51%) than those 50 and older (36%), despite the older population being more likely to have severe symptoms if sickened. Black and Hispanic voters (47%) were equally likely to rate the pandemic and its effects as their top health care priority in the coming election.
Older voters’ (46%) and women’s (42%) greatest concern was protecting health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Across all demographics, roughly one in five said lowering the cost of health care was the most important factor in their vote.
Other findings:
- Generally, respondents by state were evenly split on the importance of addressing COVID-19 and coverage for pre-existing conditions, but voters in Arizona and Minnesota were much more likely to prioritize the latter.
- Other than the predictable spread between Democrat and Republican voters, Black voters showed the greatest dispersion on the candidate most likely to address both of these issues, with more than four out of five selecting Biden.
- Just under half of likely voters said they felt safe voting in person, with men and 50+ voters feeling the safest (53%) and under-34 voters feeling the least safe (36%).
- Likely voters in these states worried mail-in votes wouldn’t be counted. Only a third of respondents reported feeling confident. Voters in North Carolina were least confident (23%), while Arizona was an outlier at 47%.
Read more: