Idaho's 50+ Expected To Dominate Primary Voting

3 Out of 4 Voters Likely 50+ -- AARP Idaho Releases First-Ever Primary Voters' Guides to Help Public Get Facts, Learn Candidate Positions on Issues

BOISE, Idaho, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With less than a week to go before Idaho's primary election, AARP is reminding candidates it's the state's 50+ who will likely determine the winners. 

In the last 4 primary elections in the Gem State, the voting bloc accounted for over 75 percent of all votes cast. 

Breakdown of the 50+ voters' role in Idaho primary elections:

2010: 73% of all votes came from 50+ voters

2008: 76% of all votes came from 50+ voters

2006: 78% of all votes came from 50+ voters

2004: 80% of all votes came from 50+ voters

AARP Idaho is releasing a brand new online tool to help the voting powerhouse, and the general public, get the facts on key issues as well as candidate's positions – the first-ever statewide AARP primary election voters' guides for all state legislative races.

The AARP voters' guides addresses key issues to the state's 50+ such as creating an independent advocate to fight unfair utility rate hikes. A recent AARP survey found over 80 percent of Idaho's 50+ reported difficulties paying their utility bills, with nearly 70 percent supporting the creation of a utility consumer advocate office (AARP Idaho Utility Survey: http://aarp.us/KFTtWp).

The guides also asks candidates their positions on a hot topic from the past legislative session, creating a state-based health insurance exchange to help Idahoans find affordable  health insurance - the exchange is supported by 72 percent of Idaho voters aged 30-64, according to an AARP survey (AARP Idaho Health Care Survey: http://aarp.us/IYOXCd). Another key concern for the state's 50+ covered in the primary election guides - what will candidates do to expand home and community-based services for an aging population.

AARP is distributing the online voters' guides to its members and the public across the state and is encouraging voters to ask the candidates their position on the issues. The AARP primary election voters' guides can be found online: http://aarp.thevoterguide.org/v/aarpus/index.do.  The Association is also working to ensure its members and the public understand numerous new changes to the Idaho election process this year.

For more than 25 years, AARP has been engaged in non-partisan voter education activities. AARP does not have a political action committee and does not endorse candidates or contribute to their campaigns. AARP's voter education activities are designed to encourage members and the general public to exercise their constitutional right to vote and to highlight the issues that affect Americans age 50+. 

AARP has 180,000 members in Idaho.

Follow us on Twitter @AARPIdaho and Facebook: AARP Idaho

SOURCE AARP Idaho

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