HARRISBURG, Pa., May 22, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- With the 2024 general election six months away, a
new AARP poll shows that Pennsylvania voters 50 and older are concerned
about having the financial resources needed to live securely. From
losing money or property to scams and fraud to being
concerned about their personal financial situation, voters 50+ are
worried about their financial futures.
When asked how concerned they are about the issue of
fraud through tactics like robo-calls, phishing emails
or other scams that could negatively impact them and their
families, 62% of voters 50+ say they are very concerned. This is an
issue that transcends political affiliation, with voters of all
political stripes expressing concern.
When asked about Keystone Saves, a retirement savings program
for the 40% of Pennsylvania
workers who do not have access to one through their employer,
almost 4-in-5 Pennsylvania voters
50+ favor the creation of the program, with strong bi-partisan
support.
Additionally, the survey found tight races for key state
offices, including the PA Office of Attorney General and the
closely divided PA House of Representatives. Elected officials who
hold these positions play critical roles in protecting
Pennsylvanians from deceptive practices and supporting small
businesses who want to provide easy access to a retirement savings
program - like Keystone Saves.
In the race for state Attorney General, voters overall slightly
favor District Attorney Dave Sunday
(R) over former Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene Pasquale (D), 44%-43%, but that lead
widens to 49%-41% among voters 50+. The closely divided PA House of
Representatives is poised to be very competitive once again. With
all 203 members up for re-election, when asked who they were likely
to vote for if the election were held today, likely voters overall
favor Republican candidates over Democratic ones 47%-45%, while
likely voters 50+ pick a Republican by a 12-point margin.
Pennsylvania voters 50+ are
united in their concern over personal economic issues, including
inflation, economy/jobs, and Social Security. "These are issues
that will largely determine their vote in November," said AARP
Pennsylvania State Director Bill
Johnston-Walsh. "A candidate running to keep their job or
win a new one has a major opportunity to reach key voters by
talking about their plans to protect Pennsylvanians from
fraud and scams and help them save for retirement so
they can retire with dignity and financial security."
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.
Other takeaways from the new poll:
- Many issues are driving concerns about costs for voters 50+,
with a clear top trio of utilities, food, and health
care/prescription drugs.
- A 63% majority of voters 50+ are worried about their personal
financial situation, with majorities indicating worry regardless of
gender, age, party, race or caregiving status.
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
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SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania