Do voters care about politicians’ ages?

FACULTY Q&A How long politicians should stay in office based on their age continues to be the subject of much debate, especially when voters see elected officials misspeak, stumble or show any signs of getting older. The death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who continued serving despite declining health, adds to the discussion as she dismissed calls for her to step down from office. Christian Fong , assistant professor of political science at the University of Michigan, addresses whether a politician's age matters to voters, especially if it is someone from the party they support. Do voters really care about a politician's age? Definitely. In 2014, a team of political scientists ran an experiment where they pitted hypothetical candidates against one another and asked Americans which they preferred. They found that voters dislike elderly candidates.