Voters line as much as forged their ballots at a voting location in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 5, 2024.
Samuel Corum | Afp | Getty Photos
When requested, “Are you higher off immediately than you have been 4 years in the past?” the reply for a lot of older voters ages 50 and over was “no,” in keeping with a brand new postelection ballot launched by AARP.
Virtually half — 47% — of voters ages 50 and over mentioned they’re “worse off now,” the analysis discovered, whereas greater than half — 55% — of swing voters in that age cohort mentioned the identical.
In aggressive congressional districts, President-elect Donald Trump gained the 50 and over vote by 2 share factors — the identical margin by which he carried the nation, AARP discovered.
Amongst voters 50 to 64, Trump gained by 7 factors. With voters ages 65 and over, Vice President Kamala Harris gained by 2 factors.
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AARP commissioned Fabrizio Ward and Influence Analysis, a bipartisan crew of Republican and Democrat companies offering public opinion analysis and consulting, to conduct the survey. Interviews have been performed with 2,348 “doubtless voters” in focused congressional districts following Election Day between Nov. 6 and 10.
Older voters, who make up an outsized share of the vote and have a tendency to lean Republican, made a distinction in a whole lot of key congressional races, in keeping with Bob Ward, a Republican pollster and associate at Fabrizio Ward.
“Total, 50-plus voters actually are what delivered Republicans their majority,” Ward mentioned.
Older swing voters centered on pocketbook points
When requested “How nervous are you about your private monetary scenario?” in a June AARP survey, 62% of voters ages 50 and over checked the concern field, whereas 63% of voters total did the identical.
Voters continued to position an emphasis on their cash considerations on Election Day, the most recent AARP ballot discovered.
“All these surveys that we performed for AARP spoke to a scarcity of financial safety for individuals,” mentioned Jeff Liszt, associate at Influence Analysis.
“The shock of inflation had left them with out a feeling of safety,” he mentioned.
For voters ages 50 and over, meals ranked as the highest value concern, with 39%, the ballot discovered. That was adopted by well being care and prescribed drugs, with 20%; housing, 14%; gasoline, 10%; and electrical energy, 6%.
Greater than half — 55% — of voters ages 50 and up mentioned they prioritized private financial points, together with inflation, the financial system and jobs, and Social Safety when figuring out their vote.
Older swing voters have been extra more likely to prove on the polls attributable to these pocketbook points than another priorities, the ballot discovered.
Republicans gained older voters on most private financial points, although voters ages 50 and up nonetheless favored Democrats on Social Safety by 2 factors.
Democrats have historically had a stronger lead on Social Safety, Ward mentioned, whereas the ballot outcomes present it’s now “fully up for grabs.”
“Trying on the midterms, whether or not I am Republican or Democrat … that is going to be a difficulty I wish to win on,” Ward mentioned.
Voters 50 and over broadly assist Medicare negotiating prescription drug costs, in addition to insurance policies to assist the older inhabitants age at house. Nonfinancial points comparable to immigration and border safety and threats to democracy have been additionally amongst prime considerations for some older voters.
Social Safety reform could also be larger focus
Whereas each presidential candidates promised to guard Social Safety on the marketing campaign path, they didn’t present plans to revive this system’s solvency.
The belief fund Social Safety depends on to pay advantages is projected to run dry in 2033, at which level 79% of these advantages shall be payable.
“What’s completely clear is that there is an action-forcing occasion that we’re getting nearer to, and that in some unspecified time in the future Congress goes to need to act,” mentioned Nancy Altman, president of Social Safety Works, an advocacy group centered on increasing this system.
Whereas Trump has touted plans to remove taxes on Social Safety advantages, analysis has discovered that may worsen this system’s insolvency. The Home voted this week to remove guidelines that cut back Social Safety advantages for sure individuals who have pension earnings, which might additionally add to this system’s prices.
For many People, Social Safety is the first supply of retirement earnings, in keeping with AARP. About 42% of individuals ages 65 and over depend on this system for at the least 50% of their incomes; about 20% depend on it for at the least 90% of their incomes.
Like Social Safety, Medicare additionally faces a looming belief fund depletion for the Half A program that covers hospital insurance coverage.
“We wish to make sure that we’re defending Medicare, Social Safety and that it is performed in a fiscally accountable means,” AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan instructed CNBC in a latest interview.
