PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A recent poll from AARP Pennsylvania identified some of the core issues driving the decisions of voters 50 and older at the polls in 2024, and they’re all economic concerns.
As a community that lives mostly on a fixed income, Bill Johnston Walsh, state director of AARP said top concerns revolved around preserving social security, taxes and medicare access.
“They have been about the bread and butter issues of utilities, you know, can I pay for my water, my electricity, my heat? Can I put food on the table? Can I afford my prescription drugs?” he said.
By the numbers, 80% of those surveyed said social security preservation was top of mind, and 73% said some sort of healthcare concern like medicare access and affordability of prescription drugs, doctor’s visits and hospitalizations were vital.
Housing was also a priority.
“They've raised their families in their homes, they want to be able to stay there,” said Johnston Walsh. “And they really want to see some policies out there, to be able to afford their taxes to stay in their home, or the upkeep of their home.”
As the voter group that statistically turns out the most for elections, they will have a big say in who gets Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. And given the state’s swing status, they could go a long way in determining who wins the White House.