Voting Linked to Lower Early Death Risk
A new study finds voters in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections had lower risks of premature death, with Wisconsin-based data at the core of the findings.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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A study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B associates voting in the 2008 and 2012 U.S. presidential elections with a lower risk of premature death. Voting in 2004 showed no such association.
Why it matters
The findings suggest civic participation may be linked to health outcomes among older adults in Wisconsin, a state whose longitudinal study population underpins the research. The results held regardless of political affiliation, financial resources, and measured health factors.
The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study followed more than 10,300 people who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, with about 4,200 older adults included in the most comprehensive analysis. Researchers have not established whether voting directly causes the observed difference in mortality.
The players
Wisconsin Longitudinal Study
A long-running study of Wisconsin residents who graduated from high school in 1957, providing the health and mortality data at the center of this research.
Catalist
A national voter file database whose verified voter records were used to identify which study participants voted in each election.
The Journals of Gerontology: Series B
A peer-reviewed scientific journal focused on the psychological and social aspects of aging, where the study was published.
The details
Researchers linked verified voter records from Catalist, a national voter file database, with health and mortality data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Voting remotely and voting in person were both associated with lower early death risk.
Timeline
2004: Presidential election, with no association with early death found.
2008: Presidential election, associated with lower early death risk.
2012: Presidential election, associated with lower early death risk.
2023: Final year of mortality data collection for the study.
March 2026: Study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B.
Civic Engagement Context
The findings add to a body of research on how social participation relates to longevity, building on the long-term cohort design of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The study adds a civic dimension to health research that has largely focused on social ties and community involvement.
The study does not establish that voting extends life, so readers should not treat it as a health recommendation. Its findings point to an association that future research must test before drawing firm conclusions for individual voters.
The takeaway
Civic participation may be one of several social factors linked to healthier aging, and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study provides a rare long-term record for examining that link. Readers interested in civic life can apply the study's findings by staying engaged in local elections.
Further reading
For more on how participation shapes communities, explore Civic Engagement coverage from across Wisconsin.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CNN International.
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