AARP and POLITICO Release Findings of Florida Poll

Focus On Older Voters, Findings Show Economic Anxiety and Concern about Social Security and Health Care

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Jun 19, 2018, 11:45 ET

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a newly released AARP-Politico poll, Florida voters age 50 and over do not feel better off financially despite a growing economy. The poll also found that Social Security and health care will be very important to 50-plus voters when they cast ballots for Congress in the mid-term elections, and they are deeply concerned about the future of Medicare.

"Candidates who ignore the issues that matter to voters age 50 and up do so at their own peril," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP's Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. "Older voters were decisive in the last two elections, and they will likely be decisive this year as well. AARP is making sure that older voters are energized to go to the polls and know where candidates stand on the issues they care about."

AARP partnered with POLITICO to create a series titled, "The Deciders," that integrates original polling focused exclusively on 50-plus voters, data analysis and cutting-edge data visualization tools built by POLITICO's specialized interactive team. The first edition in the series is focused on Florida, a key election battleground state.

The Florida poll findings include:

Older Florida voters don't feel better off despite the growing economy with 49% saying their income is falling behind their cost of living;
Significant majorities of Florida voters age 50 and older say Social Security (82 percent) and health care (78 percent) will be very important to their vote for Congress this fall;
More than one-third of 50+ Florida voters (38%) worry about health care expenses more than any other issue; and
Nearly three-quarters cite the future of Medicare as an important election issue.

The POLITICO/AARP poll, conducted by Morning Consult, surveyed 1,199 Florida voters on May 29-30 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. For the voters 50 and older, the poll surveyed 676 Florida voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points. Crosstabs available upon request.

In addition to the Politico partnership, AARP launched "Be The Difference. Vote™," a comprehensive voter engagement campaign to support Americans age 50+ as they vote in the 2018 midterm elections. AARP will seek to get the largest possible turnout of 50+ voters in November and ensure issues of particular importance to older voters are front and center—issues like Medicare, Social Security, financial security, prescription drug costs, and family caregiving.

About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

About POLITICO
POLITICO is the global authority on politics, policy, and the power surrounding their intersection. We have the most robust news operation and information service in the world specializing in politics and policy, which informs the most influential audience in the world with more insight, edge, focus and authority than any other publication.

SOURCE AARP