Economy is among top voter concerns

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - We are now finding out what helped drive voters to re-elect President Obama this past Tuesday.

More than 26,000 voters were surveyed in an Associated Press poll, one of the first exit polls to be released after the election. And among the biggest voter concerns were taxes and rising prices.  

More than three quarters of the voters who helped President Barack Obama get re-elected say the economy is their biggest concern.

“Since the disaster of 2008, there are a lot of people who don't have property, that used to have property. So, there is a greater gap between richer and poorer people,” said Mark Andre of Northampton. 

More than half of voters said they feel the nation's financial system is unfair.  That it benefits the wealthy during a period when the middle class is shrinking and the cost of living is rising.

“I don't see many things going up money-wise but everything else is going up as far as purchasing power.  The multimillionaires, they could be paying a little more in taxes,” said Sue Paquette of South Hadley. 

The Northampton Senior Center was one of the polling places in the city Tuesday.  Some seniors told 22News healthcare tops their list, not taxes.

“As a senior and someone who lives on a retirement, modest, retirement income. Health care costs as we all know are continuing to go up. They are prohibitively expensive for a lot of people already,” said Greg Kline of Northampton. 

Nearly half of those surveyed said they'd like people with incomes of at least $250,000, to pay higher taxes.  Just one in 10 voters think taxes should be raised on everyone.