Health, Voter Turnout, and Racial Disparities: A Study of Low-Income Workers in Minneapolis and Raleigh

Abstract This study examines associations between health and voter turnout in a sample of low-income workers and investigates the relationship between racialization and turnout in the 2018 US midterm election. We used data from a longitudinal cohort study conducted in two US cities in 2018–2019. The analytic sample included 554 participants. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations between health-related factors with voter turnout and examined if this relationship varied by racial group using stratified models. Never smoking/quitting ( p < 0.05) and health insurance ( p < 0.05) were both positively associated with likelihood of voter turnout on average. Black participants who used governmental assistance were 13 percentage points more likely to turn out to vote ( p < 0.01), while those with a mental health disability were about 24 percentage points less likely to vote ( p < 0.01). White participants with health insurance were 33 percentage points more likely to vote ( p < 0.01) on average. Individual health status and usage of health-related services are associated with participants’ likelihood of participating in politics. These findings may be connected to the context of the election or policy feedback effects from participants’ involvement with institutions. Further research in this area is important to build our understanding of how health influences political decision-making.