Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2022 Apr 1;77(4):827-837. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbab191.
Much of what we know about voting behaviors is based on cross-sectional comparisons of voters at different ages. This study draws on a unique linkage between the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and state voter files to characterize voting trajectories in later life and explore their determinants.
Using sequence analysis, we identify 5 voting typologies based on turnout and voting methods over 8 biennial elections. Using multinomial logistic and Poisson regressions, we examine the role of physical, cognitive, and mental health and wealth in shaping enfranchisement and civic participation at older ages.
Health and wealth are both positively associated with voter turnout, but the negative impact of poor health on voting declines with increasing wealth. Voting at the polls and early voting are more common among healthier older adults, whereas absentee voting is more common among older voters who are more affluent, less healthy, or both. Among those less wealthy, absentee methods mitigate the impact of poor health for previously active voters, but do not compensate for a lower turnout rate. In addition to physical and cognitive limitations, emotional difficulties and depression reduce turnout, particularly among the least wealthy.
In this sample of older, largely White, primarily Midwestern committed voters, civic participation at older ages is shaped by individual experiences with wealth and health across the life course as well as political structures that facilitate or restrict the ability of individuals to consistently participate in elections.
我们对投票行为的了解在很大程度上基于不同年龄段选民的横断面比较。本研究利用威斯康星州纵向研究与州选民档案之间的独特联系，描述晚年的投票轨迹，并探讨其决定因素。
我们使用序列分析，根据 8 次两年一次的选举中的投票率和投票方式，确定了 5 种投票类型。使用多项逻辑回归和泊松回归，我们检验了身体、认知和心理健康以及财富在塑造老年人选举权和公民参与方面的作用。
健康和财富都与投票率呈正相关，但健康状况不佳对投票的负面影响随着财富的增加而降低。在较健康的老年人中，到投票站投票和提前投票更为常见，而在较富裕、较不健康或两者兼有的老年选民中，缺席投票更为常见。在较不富裕的人群中，缺席投票方式减轻了健康状况不佳对以前活跃选民的影响，但无法弥补投票率较低的问题。除了身体和认知方面的限制，情绪困难和抑郁也会降低投票率，尤其是在最不富裕的人群中。
在这个以白人为主、主要来自中西部的年龄较大、有投票意向的人群样本中，晚年的公民参与受到个体在整个生命周期中经历的财富和健康状况以及政治结构的影响，这些结构既促进也限制了个人持续参与选举的能力。
