Student Debt Relief Will Lead to Higher Voter Turnout in Battleground States
By Anika Dandekar and Sabrina Jacobs
Student loan debt is a major burden for many Americans. The Federal Reserve estimates that Americans owe about $1.75 trillion in student loan debt, and the average borrower owes $36,510 in federal student loans.
For Americans considering higher education, the price of attending college or graduate school can play a significant role in their decision. Forgiving up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt and implementing policy measures to lessen the weight of student loan debt would be an instant and material relief for millions of borrowers.
A new poll from Rise and Data for Progress shared exclusively with Business Insider finds 45 percent of voters in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin would be either “somewhat more likely” or “much more likely” to vote in November if President Biden canceled $10,000 in student loan debt. Forty-six percent of voters say they would be more likely to turn out if President Biden canceled $50,000 in student loan debt. Fifty-six percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 35 in these four battleground states say they would be more likely to vote should all student loan debt be canceled.
If Biden were to eliminate some or all of federal student loan debt, 59 percent of these young voters say they would be more likely to vote for a Democratic congressional candidate in November.
Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are crucial battleground states that flipped from Donald Trump to President Biden in 2020. Forgiving student loan debt would be a major relief to many voters in those swing states — and across the country — and encourage them to participate in the upcoming midterm elections.
Anika Dandekar is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.
Sabrina Jacobs is a digital fellow at Data for Progress.