Arizona’s senior voters not big on student loan forgiveness

0
351
President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

What do Arizona voters think of President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan?

The answer depends on how old they are, according to OH Predictive Insights’ (OHPI) latest Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP).

While younger voters generally support the idea, according to the poll, it’s unpopular with older voters.

It found that 64% of voters ages 18 to 54 approve of Biden’s plan while 64% of those ages 55 and older disapprove.

The poll comes in response to the plan announced by the Biden administration last month. It plans to cancel up to $10,000 of federal student loan debt (up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients) for those who make under $125,000 yearly.

Given that the older generations are more likely to vote in midterm elections, a political analyst for OH Predictive Insights’ thinks this move could hurt Democrats in Arizona.

“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,” Mike Noble, OHPI Chief of Research, said in a press release.

Among extremely and moderately enthusiastic voters, people were torn on whether or not they support the Biden administration’s move; 48% said they approved, while 49% said they disapproved.

“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,” Noble said in the release.

Republished with the permission of The Center Square.