Oklahomans Support Medicaid Expansion by a nearly 2:1 Margin
A recent survey done by Amber Integrated (AI) demonstrates fairly broad, although not overwhelming, support for State Question 802, the ballot initiative to expand Medicaid. Fifty-three percent of registered voters say they will vote “yes,” compared to just 27 percent who say they will vote “no” and 20 percent who remain undecided.
Not surprisingly, the issue polls very well with Democrats, with 73 percent reporting they will vote “yes.” Support among independents drops to 50 percent, with 30 percent opposed. A plurality of Republicans, at 39 percent, support expansion, with the remaining 29 percent undecided.
Besides the partisan divide, there are gaps in support driven by both gender and age. Fifty-six percent of women say they will vote for SQ 802, compared with just 49 percent of men. Meanwhile, SQ 802 polls particularly well with voters under 39 (60 percent for 18-29 years old and 67 percent for 30-39 years old); that number falls to below 50 percent for most other age ranges.
Increased support for Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma is well-documented, which is presumably why its backers have made the investment in money and time to push a ballot initiative. Still, it is a somewhat remarkable sea-change in opinion on what amounts to support for President Obama’s signature health care initiative. While opposition to Medicaid expansion was once a rallying cry for Republicans, today they are more likely to support it than to oppose it. The divisive nature of this state question among the Republican base will likely factor into Governor Kevin Stitt’s decision when he chooses when to let Oklahomans vote on this issue.
This survey was conducted from December 4-6, 2019 and included a pool of 500 registered Oklahoma voters. These survey results were weighted based on age, gender, party affiliation, and level of education. This survey has a margin of error of 4.38% at a 95% confidence interval. The poll surveyed both cell phones and landlines and used a combination of live callers and an online panel of registered voters.