New Black, Latino voter poll: Ohio worried about healthcare

By Nadia Ramlagan

A new poll surveying more than 2,000 Black and Latino registered voters in Ohio and other battleground states finds voters want elected leaders to address the affordability issues plaguing American consumers today.

In Ohio, more than 40% of the Black and Latino voters surveyed said access to healthcare was one of their top voting issues.

Bria Bennett with the Ohio Organizing Collaborative said healthcare concerns came second only to the cost of living.

"It is very clear that people are worried about being able to get the care they need and how much it's going to cost them," Bennett explained.

A new report from the health policy research organization KFF added employer-sponsored health coverage is getting more expensive. Workers' premium contributions for family coverage rose 9% in 2026 to more than $7,000 per year on average. Between 800,000 and 1 million Ohioans report having medical debt annually. Bennett added more Ohioans are delaying care or thinking twice before going to the doctor.

Meanwhile, Black and Latino residents are increasingly linking their health to the quality of the air and the drinking water in their communities.

"Going back to our results, 73% of respondents were very concerned about having clean air and safe drinking water," Bennett noted.

Ohio ranks poorly among states for particle pollution exposure, driven by regional industrial activity, vehicle emissions and periodic smoke from wildfires, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.