Older Voters Weigh In on Race for Governor
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-10-23 11:57:09.228970-04:00
As the race for Massachusetts governor heats up, older voters weigh in, saying the candidates’ positions on key issues will influence how they vote. New research, “Massachusetts Election Issues: Opinions from AARP Bay State Members,” finds long term care and prescription drug affordability top concerns for older voters. AARP will focus on these issues – as well as economic security for older workers – in its nonpartisan voter education campaign, a statewide, grassroots effort.
“It’s a well-known fact: Older people vote in greater proportion than any other age group,” says AARP Massachusetts State Director Deborah Banda. “They vote out of a sense of civic obligation and they vote based on issues as opposed to sound bites or slogans.”
According to AARP’s new research, the majority (67 percent) of AARP members in Massachusetts report always voting, with 23 percent sometimes missing one election. AARP represents more than 800,000 members age 50 and over in the Bay State, about 50 percent of the commonwealth’s 50-plus population.
AARP Massachusetts Voter Education Campaign
As part of its campaign, AARP asked the major candidates for governor specific questions about three issues:
- prescription drug affordability
- economic security for older workers
- long term care
Responses from Kerry Healey (R) and Deval Patrick (D) appear in the AARP Voters’ Guide for Massachusetts Governor, available today. Christy Mihos (I) chose not to respond. In addition, Healey, Mihos, and Patrick were confirmed to participate in a candidate forum, sponsored by AARP, Oct. 19 at Faneuil Hall in Boston; more than 500 AARP members will attend.
“The goal of our voter education campaign is to help voters get to the real substance of issues,” explains AARP Massachusetts State Director Deborah Banda. “Even though the vast majority of our members in Massachusetts (89 percent) now have prescription drug coverage, they continue to be worried about affordability, and would vote for candidates committed to expanding Prescription Advantage so that the program includes all prescriptions not covered by Medicare. That said,” she continues, “this year, long term care is also a top concern, and is taking on more universal importance.”
Long Term Care Takes on Universal Importance
AARP’s Election Issues research finds that nearly all AARP members (94 percent) want to stay at home as long as possible when needing long term care, and 75 percent would be more likely to vote for a candidate who can help them achieve that goal. “AARP members who are age 50-64 rank the issue as a priority, perhaps because they are caring for an aging parent,” Banda remarks. “At the same time,” she adds, “AARP members who are 75 and older express significant concern as they struggle with planning for their own care needs.”
AARP member Jim Muse, 68, of Salem says long term care is a big concern for his family. Muse and his wife have been helping to care for their disabled granddaughter for eight years. While MassHealth helps pay for health care and medication costs, other necessary expenses are the family’s responsibility, including a lift chair ($32,000) and specialized van ($35,000). “Whether you are eight or 80 years old, the costs can be overwhelming,” says Muse.
Not surprisingly, most AARP members (63 percent) lack confidence that they could pay for long term care on their own and at least three-quarters (74 percent) do not have long term care insurance to help. Instead, seven in ten (70 percent) strongly support improved access, affordability and quality of long term care insurance and would be more likely to vote for a candidate who worked to accomplish this.
“Longevity is in my family, and I can’t afford $2,000 a year for long term care insurance,” says AARP member Antonina DiPaolo, 79, of Duxbury. “Every day I worry about what is going to happen next.” DiPaolo has first-hand experience with long term care, having spent nine years taking care of her ailing mother. As a widow working full-time with no pension and a mortage to pay, DiPaolo could not afford full-time care for her mother. She hired a health-care aide to visit during the day, but, in the end she couldn’t afford to buy the equipment to keep her mother safe at home.
Highlights from AARP’s Election Issues Survey
Other highlights from AARP’s Election Issues research include:
- 96 percent of AARP members support legislation to improve affordability of prescription drugs.
- 81 percent of AARP members support legislation that would increase funding for Prescription Advantage.
- Two-thirds of AARP members (66 percent) would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported coverage of all prescriptions through an expansion of Prescription Advantage.
- Three-quarters of AARP members (75 percent) support funding for older worker training and retraining programs.
- Nearly half of AARP members (46 percent) would be more likely to vote for candidates who supported older worker training and retraining programs.
“Most of our members who are employed work for economic reasons, and don’t plan to fully retire when they reach 65,” says Banda. “As the leading edge of the 76-million strong Boomer generation nears traditional retirement – and fewer younger persons enter the workforce – keeping older workers on the job and up to speed with current skills will become increasingly important.” In Massachusetts, 1,235,287 workers are age 45 and over.
More on AARP Voter Education Campaign
Through Nov. 7, the AARP Voters’ Guide for Massachusetts Governor will be available online or by calling AARP at 1-866-448-3621. It will also be available in public places across the commonwealth, including senior centers, Councils on Aging and libraries, as well as at local AARP chapter meetings. Further, AARP is mailing the guide to the homes of 200,000 members, and the state’s mature market newspaper, The Fifty-Plus Advocate, publishes the guide this week.
The survey of 1,545 AARP members in Massachusetts was conducted, by mail, between July 14 and Aug. 11, 2006. The survey has a sampling error of +/- 2.5 percent.
AARP is Nonpartisan
AARP is nonpartisan and does not own a political action committee (PAC), endorse political candidates, or contribute money to political parties or political candidates’ campaigns. AARP represents more than 37 million members, age 50 and over, nationwide; more than 800,000 in Massachusetts.
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