Health care is top issue for older Asian American voters

Two surveys show older Asian Americans are very worried about their health care, which is followed by the economy and discrimination as the most important election issue for them. NBC SCREENSHOT

WASHINGTON — Health care is the most important election issue this November for 93% of Asian American voters age 50 and over, according to two recent national AARP surveys. Jobs and the economy (89%) ranked a close second.

Older Asian American voters are also worried about  the coronavirus pandemic, having experienced the pandemic’s social and emotional impacts. Aside from their health, they also feel insecure about the economy and discrimination.

At the beginning of the pandemic in March, 58% of Asian American voters 50 and over said addressing the coronavirus was extremely or very important to them and their community.

By late summer and into fall, many were still concerned about the impacts of the pandemic: Seven out of ten (72%) Asian American voters 50-plus worried often about job loss and employment due to the Covid-19 pandemic; nearly half (48%) worried often about not being able to receive access to health care; and 45% worried about experiencing hate crimes, harassment and discrimination.

Additional findings

• On issues that affect them personally or their community, Asian American voters 50-plus cited the following as extremely or very important to them: Securing the future of Social Security (83%) and Medicare (78%), lowering health care costs (78%) and prescription drug costs (77%), and having enough retirement savings (76%).
• 46% are concerned about election interference in 2020, while 40% worry about their health and safety at the polls.
• Slightly more Asian American voters 50-plus plan to go to the polls in person, either early (14%) or on election day (37%), than those who plan to vote by mail or absentee ballot (46%).
• Most survey participants (76%) receive information to help guide their voting decisions from media news outlets and talk shows, followed by candidate debates and town halls (50%).

Methodology

The two primary data sources for this analysis are

 2020 Asian American Voter Survey (AAVS), conducted July through September 2020 by AAPI Data on behalf of AARP, APIAVote and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, subsample of n=733 voters age 50-plus.

National Survey of Older Voters During COVID-19: Asian Americans, conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of AARP in March 2020, oversample of n=583 Asian American voters age 50-plus. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00390.003