Majority of Younger Arizona Likely Voters Approve of Student Debt Forgiveness, Equal Share of Older Voters Disapprove
PHOENIX (September 19th, 2022)- In late August, President Joe Biden announced his three-part plan offering targeted student loan debt relief in an effort to address rising college costs and create a more manageable student loan system for current and future borrowers. OH Predictive Insights’(OHPI) latest Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) assessed Arizona likely voters’ sentiment toward student debt forgiveness and whether or not it will have an impact on voting habits. According to the survey, 64% of voters ages 18-54 years old approve of the Biden Administration’s student debt forgiveness, while 64% of voters ages 55+ disapprove.
This AZPOP was conducted September 6th – September 9th, 2022 and surveyed 654 Arizona likely voters, giving the survey a margin of error of +/- 3.83%.
Personal Impact
The latest survey revealed that student debt forgiveness is much more popular amongst younger age groups, regardless of party affiliation. The party with the largest divide between age groups is Democratic voters – nearly 9 in 10 voters (88%) ages 18-54 years old are strongly/somewhat supportive compared to 63% of voters ages 55+ who said the same. Republican and Independent voters in the 18-54 age group also expressed stronger approval (39% and 60%, respectively) than the 55+ voters of their same party.
Despite the high support among younger voters, an equal share of 64% of Arizona likely voters ages 55+ disapprove of student debt forgiveness. This age group, historically, has the highest turnout to vote in midterm elections.
“With 55+ voters typically having higher turnout coupled with their majority disapproval of President Biden’s student debt forgiveness, it will be interesting to see the possible down-ticket impact this could have on the Democratic party,” said Mike Noble, OHPI Chief of Research.
Voter Enthusiasm Impact The recent news of forgiving student debt does not seem to correlate to voter enthusiasm. According to this AZPOP survey, 48% of likely voters who are extremely/moderately enthusiastic to vote to approve of Biden’s student debt forgiveness, while 49% of likely voters who are extremely/moderately enthusiastic disapprove. Looking at the change in voter enthusiasm for this year compared to previous elections, there is also no statistically significant difference in approval of student debt forgiveness between voters more enthusiastic to vote this year than in previous Arizona elections (48% approve) and voters less enthusiastic to vote than in previous elections (49% disapprove).
“As impactful as this student loan forgiveness may be on people’s personal lives, it does not appear to be making any significant impact on voter enthusiasm for this election season,” said Noble.
Hispanic/Latino Impact The survey revealed that Hispanic/Latino likely voters are more likely to be strong supporters of the student debt forgiveness plan. Overall, 75% of Hispanics said they strongly/somewhat approve compared to 68% of non-Hispanic minorities and 37% of Caucasian voters who also expressed their approval.
Key Takeaway Student debt forgiveness is most popular among younger age groups regardless of party, but older voters are not as supportive. Of those who are supportive, Hispanic/Latino likely voters are the most approving of President Biden’s student debt forgiveness compared to non-Hispanic minorities. Although there is slightly more support than disapproval surrounding student debt forgiveness, it does not produce any significant disparity in voter enthusiasm.
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Methodology: This poll was conducted as an online opt-in panel survey. The survey was completed by OH Predictive Insights from September 6th to September 9th, 2022 from an Arizona Statewide Likely Voter sample. The sample demographics were weighted to accurately reflect the likely voter population by gender, region, age, party affiliation, ethnicity, and education according to a recent voter file derived from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and recent Census data. The sample size was 654 likely voters in Arizona, with an MoE of ± 3.83%. Numbers may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Media Contacts: Veronica Sutliff, OH Predictive Insights, v.sutliff@ohpredictive.com, (602) 390-5248 Megan Newsham, OH Predictive Insights, m.newsham@ohpredictive.com, (314) 287-1985
About OH Predictive Insights: As a non-partisan market research, predictive analytics, and public opinion polling firm, Arizona-based OH Predictive Insights provides accurate polling, focus groups, data analytics, and advanced targeted marketing to political and non-political clients alike. With leading professionals in the advertising, communication, polling, and political arenas, OH Predictive Insights serves political and non-political clients looking to improve their footing with key stakeholders and consumers. For more information, please call 480-313-1837 or submit a request online atOHPredictive.com.