Coloradans are spending less and worried about health care costs
As the holidays approach, Coloradans are tightening their belts with nearly half expressing pessimism about the economy.
The Colorado Polling Institute surveyed voters Nov. 1 through Nov. 5, reaching 622 registered voters online, reporting a margin of error of 3.93%.
Three in five Colorado voters -- or 61% -- say they've cut spending on non-essential items in the past year. This was significantly higher than Americans reported overall; 42% of voters nationally said they were cutting back on their spending. This suggests that inflation is taking a bigger bite out of Colorado wallets than the nation as a whole.
About the belt tightening, Lori Weigel, a Republican pollster and Principal at New Bridge Strategy, said, "Could be due to higher rents, higher housing costs, but for whatever reason, Coloradans may be going into the holiday season with a little more bah humbug than a joyful spirit."
A plurality of voters, or 46%, think Colorado's economy will get worse over the next year.
The rising cost of health insurance is another cause for worry.
The poll found 63% of Colorado voters consider the rising cost of health insurance to be a crisis or a major problem. And 72% believe tax credits should be extended for people who buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Weigel said, "One of the cost concerns that Colorado voters have right now is about the cost of health insurance. 63% characterize that as either an outright crisis or a major problem. And among the privately insured, among those with no insurance right now, they were even more apt to call this a crisis."
The poll covered national politics and immigration as well as local politics. Nearly nine-in-10 Coloradans, or 87%, say they are satisfied with the state's voting system.
And 83% support vaccine mandates for children attending public schools.
"It's critical for our leaders to understand how Coloradans view our state," said CPI Founder and CEO David Carlson. "Our goal is to provide nonpartisan insights to help state leaders not only understand the challenges people are facing, but also motivate them to find solutions."
