The 2020 election officially kicked off during President Trump's inauguration two years ago when his reelection campaign filed his campaign paperwork. And, with 18 Democrats already declared and more expected in the coming weeks, the attention being paid to presidential hopefuls and their policy positions is only expected to grow.

One issue that must be central to all campaigns is Alzheimer's. More than 5.8 million Americans are living with the disease and another 16 million are providing care. And Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in the country costing the nation $290 billion in 2019, including $195 billion in Medicare and Medicaid payments. Alzheimer's is a threat to individuals, families and our nation's economy.

Alzheimer's affects everybody.

And American voters agree. According to recent polling more voters said Alzheimer's is "extremely" or "very" important to them (72 percent) than those that say the same thing about foreign policy (67 percent), infrastructure (66 percent), immigration (66 percent), the national debt (69 percent), trade policies (64 percent) or climate change (61 percent).

When considering how they'll vote for a candidate, American voters are moved by Alzheimer's policy. Seventy-five percent of voters say they'd be more likely to vote for a candidate who "pledged to make an all-out effort to find treatments and a cure for Alzheimer's," 77 percent are more likely to support a candidate who supports "policies to improve care for individuals living with the disease" and "policies to help caregivers for people with Alzheimer's."

Between now and November 2020, AIM and our advocates will be on the campaign trail engaging candidates on the #Road2ENDALZ. We'll ask them not only what they have already done to fight Alzheimer's, but also what actions will they commit to take if elected to office. You can join us in our efforts to make Alzheimer's a central campaign issue, visit alzimpact.org/2020 to learn more.