Economy, Benefits Top Military Voters’ Concerns

Both military and civilian voters lean Democratic in First Command’s survey, but just barely. Forty-four percent of military voters and 41% of civilians said they would most likely vote for the Democratic candidate, compared with 39% of servicemembers and 37% of civilians who said they would probably vote for the Republican.

“Continuing concerns over the larger economy, uncertainty about the future of Social Security and Medicare and rising health care costs are financial issues of great importance to many Americans this election year,” Scott Spiker, CEO of First Command Financial Services, said in a statement. “But our men and women in uniform face the added worries of how military budget cuts, sequestration and defense downsizing will impact their family finances.”

Spiker noted that recent changes to the military pay and benefits structure, including the newly approved military retirement system, have intensified financial anxiety among the military population. “The positions that candidates support regarding policies on military benefits will clearly influence the votes that career military families decide to cast in the 2016 primaries,” he added.

— Read Where the Candidates Stand on Advisors’ Issues on ThinkAdvisor.