Voting behavior and mortality risk in older adults: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

Longitudinal studies have examined long-term health benefits of volunteering, with less attention to other forms of civic engagement, like voting. Prior research on voting has examined how health status predicts later voting behavior. This study examines the reverse: whether voting behavior predicts lower later mortality risk among older Americans.

Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N = 7,708 to 4,078; 54% female) and Catalist-verified voting records, we examine the mortality risk among older adults who voted in the U.S. 2008 presidential election. We control for socioeconomic status, demographics (including political affiliation), civic engagement, and health to assess associations between voting behavior and mortality risk 5 to 15 years later. We also conduct survival analyses for the 2004, 2008, and 2012 presidential elections through 2023.

In fully adjusted models, older adult voters in 2008 (compared to nonvoters) had a 45%, 37%, and 29% lower mortality risk after 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Both in-person and remote voting were associated with reduced mortality risk across all periods. This effect was not moderated by financial resources or political affiliation. However, those in poorer health benefited more from voting 15 years later. Robustness checks found that mortality risk benefits were stronger in more recent elections (2008, 2012).

These findings support voting as a potential social determinant of health. Voting is often promoted as a public health initiative enhancing community health, and it may also be associated with better health outcomes for voters. The results inform public health policy initiatives promoting voter participation, particularly among aging populations.