Donald Trump
leads over President Joe Biden among
older voters; Senate race is neck-and-neck between Sen.
Bob Casey and Dave McCormick
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, AARP Pennsylvania released a 2024 statewide
election survey that shows candidates for President, U.S. Senate,
and state races should pay close attention to Pennsylvanians ages
50 and older. Eighty-percent of voters ages 50+ report that
candidates' positions on Social Security are important in deciding
whom to vote for in November, followed by Medicare (73%), helping
people stay in their homes as they age (69%), and the cost of
prescription drugs (67%).
Pennsylvanians ages 50+ will be key in determining who wins in
November. This voting bloc makes up an outsized portion of the
electorate: in the 2020 elections, older voters accounted for 55%
of all Pennsylvania voters and in
the 2022 mid-terms, they made up 62% of the state's voters.
Eighty-five percent of voters ages 50+ say they are "extremely
motivated" to vote in this election.
Former President Donald Trump (R)
leads over President Joe Biden (D)
by 4 percentage points – 49% to 45%. Trump's lead is even greater
among voters 50 and older, at 52% - 42%. Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D) leads Dave McCormick (R), 48% to 44% in the U.S.
Senate race among voters ages 18 and over, but among the 50+,
McCormick has a slight edge over Sen. Casey, 48% - 47%.
"Pennsylvania voters over age
50 are a critical voting bloc that all candidates are competing for
in this election," said Bill Johnston
Walsh, State Director, AARP Pennsylvania. "Pennsylvanians of
all political stripes want leaders to protect Social Security and
provide support for family caregivers. If candidates want to win,
they should pay attention to the issues that matter to
Pennsylvanians ages 50-plus."
Other key takeaways from the poll include:
- A significant majority (68%) of Pennsylvanians ages 50 and
older think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
- Sixty-three percent of older voters say they are worried about
their personal financial situation, with the cost of food and
utilities ranking as top drivers of financial stress.
- Eighty-nine percent of older voters are concerned
about fraud through robo-calls, phishing emails,
or other scams.
AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward & Impact Research to conduct a
survey. The firms interviewed 1,398 likely Pennsylvania voters, which includes a
statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters, with an
oversample of 470 likely voters age 50 and older and an additional
oversample of 328 Black likely voters age 50 and older, between
April 24-30, 2024. The interviews
were conducted via landline, cellphone, and SMS-to-web. The margin
of sampling error for the 600 statewide sample is ±4.0%; for the
800 total sample of voters 50+ is ±3.5%; for the 400 total sample
of Black voters 50+ is ±4.9%.
View the full survey results at
aarp.org/PApolling.
For more information on how, when and where to vote in
Pennsylvania, visit
aarp.org/PAVotes.
About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they
live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens
communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than
100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security,
financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for
individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and
allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to
carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information,
AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP
The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more,
visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or
follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social
media.
CONTACT: TJ Thiessen | tthiessen@aarp.org |
717-381-7420
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-aarp-pennsylvania-poll-voters-50-could-tip-the-scales-in-2024-302138625.html
SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania