According to a national poll, voters named healthcare fourth in a list of factors determining their vote in the Nov. 2 mid-term elections, behind the economy, party preference and the candidates' views.
Kaiser's November Health Tracking Poll, conducted on Nov. 6, asked voters to name their key reasons for voting as they did, rather than asking them to rank choices provided for them. Kaiser officials said they hoped this method would provide a clearer picture of where healthcare stands in the public mind.
Among voters, the factor mentioned most often was the economy/jobs (29 percent). The next two most mentioned factors were party preference (25 percent) and views of the candidates themselves (21 percent). Healthcare was the fourth most mentioned factor at 17 percent, according to Kaiser's poll.
Voters who named healthcare as one of their top factors were more likely than non-healthcare voters to back a Republican candidate for Congress (59 percent vs. 44 percent) and to say they have a "very unfavorable" view of the healthcare reform law (56 percent vs. 33 percent).
Prior to the election there was much speculation about seniors coming out to vote, due to their concerns over health reform. While turnout numbers indicate that seniors voted in disproportionately higher numbers, the survey found that 17 percent of seniors named healthcare as a top factor in deciding their vote, the same percentage as voters under age 65.
Looking ahead, Kaiser found that the general public remains split about what lawmakers should do with the health reform law, with 21 percent wanting to see lawmakers expand the law, 19 percent wanting to leave the law as is, 25 percent wanting to repeal parts of the law and 24 percent wanting to see the entire law repealed.
Among mid-term voters, 56 percent would like to see the law repealed entirely or in part. Voters split sharply along partisan lines, with two-thirds of those who voted for Democratic candidates wanting the law expanded or left as is and eight in ten of those who voted Republican supporting full or partial repeal.
Among those who view the law unfavorably, 45 percent said their views are based on the specifics of the law, while 33 percent said they are motivated more by what the law symbolizes for them about the general direction of Washington.
Overall, a broad partisan divide remains about the health reform law. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of self-identified Democrats hold a favorable view of the law, while 71 percent of self-identified Republicans hold an unfavorable view of it.