By Jessica Zigmond

Healthcare played a role in how the electorate voted last week, but the issue came in third behind the candidates' characteristics and the economy as a leading factor, according to the findings of a November tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

 http://www.modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CH/20121113/NEWS/311139965/AR/0/AR-311139965.jpg Healthcare played a role in how the electorate voted last week, but the issue came in third behind the candidates' characteristics and the economy as a leading factor, according to the findings of a November tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Conducted from Nov. 7-10, the survey of 1,223 respondents asked voters to identify the top two factors in their decision, without providing choices. The results showed that 55% of those who voted to re-elect President Barack Obama and 48% of those who voted for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cited candidate characteristics and candidate record as the top factor.

]]>Meanwhile, 18% of Obama supporters and 48% of Romney supporters said the economy was the next most important factor, while healthcare came next, with 16% of Obama voters and 13% of Romney voters making it their third choice.

The survey results also showed that voters considered more than the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act when asked about healthcare. "When voters were asked to assess the importance of a lengthy list of issues to their votes, large shares named a variety of health issues as a major factor in their vote, including: the future of the Medicare program (70%), the ACA (69%), the future of Medicaid (61%), and the candidates' views on women's health issues (57%)," according to the survey.

And while the national exit poll showed Romney "won among seniors by a comfortable margin," more voters aged 65 and older (47%) said the president's policies will be good for seniors as a group than those who expect those policies will be bad (33%).

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