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Concerns about health care costs and abortion motivated a number of voters in this week's midterm elections, KFF research found.
Seven in 10 voters say the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade in the Dobbs decision was important to their vote. One-quarter called it the single most important factor, which is half as many who said the same about inflation. More than half of Democratic voters and women voters under age 50 said the Dobbs decision had a major impact on which candidates they voted for in this election as well as their decision about whether to turn out to vote.
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KFF, in partnership with the Associated Press, examined the role that health care played by adding supplemental questions to the AP VoteCast survey of midterm voters. The Dobbs decision first determined whether some people decided to vote in the election. Respondents who said it motivated them to vote include:
- Total voters, 39%
- Democrats, 57%
- Independent, 33%
- Republicans, 23%
- 44%
- Men, 33%
- Women ages 18 to 49, 51%
For many of those who decided to vote, it also influenced their candidate choices:
- Total voters, 47%
- Democrats, 65%
- Independents, 39%
- Republicans, 32%
- Women, 53%
- Men, 41%
- Women ages 18 to 49, 55%
Among states with abortion amendments on the ballot, the issue motivated 45% of voters in California, 43% in Michigan and 38% each in Kentucky and Virginia.
Despite the clamor about gas prices, the high cost of food was by far the top inflation-related concern that voters say was a factor in their vote. Health and prescription drug prices also were in the mix, just trailing gas prices and about the same as utilities and housing costs, underscoring that voters see health as a pocketbook issue.
The survey found that health care costs were the top overall issue for 7% of voters surveyed, and 9% say the cost of heatlh care and prescription drugs was their leading economic concern. Respondents who listed health care as their leading concerned favored Democratic congressional candidates by a margin of 68% to 29%.
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
