Voting/Health Benefits—
By Nadia Ramlagan, producer, Ohio News Connection, a bureau of Public News Service.
A new study links voting across the political spectrum to longer life among older adults.
The study looked at data tracking Americans’ voting behavior and official National Death Index records. The findings indicated voters were 45% less likely to die following the 2008 election. Ten years later, they were 37% less likely to die, and 15 years later, they were 29% less likely to die.
Indiana University associate professor Sara Konrath and her colleague, Femida Handy at the University of Pennsylvania, conducted the research. Konrath said it remains unclear why voters tend to live longer, but she has some theories.
“I think there’s a sense of purpose that comes along with voting, realizing you’re part of a bigger community, you’re contributing to the greater good,” she said, “and all of those things can just make you feel more connected.”
The study also found that those in poor health to begin with benefited more from voting. Older adults already vote at higher rates than other demographics. According to AARP, in the 2020 presidential election, more than 70% of Americans age 65 or older said they voted, according to Census Bureau surveys.
Konrath noted the American Medical Association has recently said that voting is an important social determinant of health. She said some factors in overall health fall outside of the typical list of things a doctor might ask about during an exam.
“It’s not just about whether you eat your vegetables or whether you smoke or not or how you sleep,” she said, “but it’s about your social connections and whether you belong.”
She added that like other civic engagement activities, including volunteering, voting may trigger positive biological responses that support well-being. Previous studies have shown volunteering can boost the brain’s reward system and reduce stress.
