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Going to the ballot box can keep you out of the pine box.
Americans who vote appear to live longer — and it doesn’t matter whether their candidate wins or loses, a study has revealed.
People who cast a ballot in the 2008 presidential election were 45% less likely to die within five years and 37% less likely to die within 10 years of voting, according to research published in the Journals of Gerontology.
It also found they were 29% less likely to die within 15 years, according to an analysis of more than 7,700 people.
Voting’s link to good health and a longer life held regardless of how wealthy or educated people were — and may be tied to the simple act of doing something good for your community, the study’s co-author Femida Handy, told The Post.
“Voting may provide psychological benefits through the satisfaction of fulfilling a civic duty and contributing to the public good,” said Handy, a professor of social policy at the University of Pennsylvania
“Like volunteering and charitable giving, voting may activate psychological and neurophysiological processes associated with reward, reduced stress, and well-being,” said Handy.
“Voting may foster a sense of belonging, collective identity, and connection to the broader community, all of which may contribute to health and longevity,” she said.
Voters had a lower risk of dying regardless of gender and whether they voted remotely or in person, the study, published in May, also found.
Folks in poorer health also benefited more from voting 15 years later than those who had been healthier before they voted, according to the report.
And it didn’t matter whether the voter’s candidate actually ended up in the Oval Office, according to the study.
“We found that although it can be stressful when the candidate you support loses, the people we studied experienced similar long-term health benefits of voting regardless of their political affiliation,” the study’s co-author, Sara Konrath, of Indiana University, said.
For the report, researchers looked at data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which collected data from 7,708 people, roughly 54 % of whom were women.
“Older adults who voted, regardless of their wealth, education or political affiliation, experienced a significantly reduced mortality risk,” Handy said.
“We controlled for education and wealth. The results still held,” she said.
Handy, however, warned that casting a ballot alone won’t keep you out of a casket.
“Remember, voting is not the magic pill, we found association, not a causal link,” she said.