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5 Ways AARP Is Making Sure Your Vote Counts

We share guidance on when, where and how to cast a ballot, and elevate the concerns of voters 50-plus

Miriam Cross,

AARP

Published August 14, 2026

AARP (Getty Images, 4)

Key takeaways

AARP provides nonpartisan voting resources to help Americans 50-plus participate in the 2026 elections.
Through polling, candidate outreach and voter education efforts, AARP elevates issues such as Social Security, Medicare and family caregiving to politicians.
State offices engage voters in a variety of ways, from candidate Q&As to community events and public discussions.

In elections, every voter who casts a ballot has a say in who will represent their interests on the federal, state and local level. And every vote matters: Some states have swung toward a presidential candidate by a fraction of a percentage point.

That’s why AARP is on a mission to ensure that voters know how and where to exercise this right and are informed about the candidates and issues important to Americans 50-plus. Older adults are the most powerful voting bloc in America: In every national election since 2002 — when citizen voting data by age became available—those 65 and older have cast ballots at higher rates than their younger counterparts, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. For midterm elections like this year’s, the gap between older voters and younger ones is even bigger.

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AARP is nonpartisan and doesn’t endorse candidates or give money to campaigns. But we do focus on the “how” of voting and on educating candidates so politicians understand the priorities for voters 50-plus. That includes an emphasis on issues like Social Security, Medicare and unpaid family caregiving, and we are polling older voters on their biggest concerns heading into the 2026 election season. AARP encourages voters to ask questions about how candidates plan to make a difference in the lives of older adults.

“We provide nonpartisan information to folks on a regular basis so they are confident their votes count,” says John Hishta, senior vice president of campaigns at AARP.

Join Our Fight to Make Sure Your Vote Counts

AARP is a nonpartisan organization that never supports or opposes candidates for office. We believe the right to vote is fundamental, and we advocate for policies ensuring that Americans 50 and older can exercise that right without unnecessary barriers. Here’s what you can do to help:

Learn more about voting in your state this year.
Pledge to vote for candidates in 2026 who will protect and strengthen Social Security and support family caregivers.
Sign up to become an AARP activist for the latest news and alerts on issues you care about.
AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today.

Here are five ways AARP is working on behalf of older Americans in the lead-up to the 2026 elections.

Taking the pulse of older voters

AARP commissions bipartisan polls during presidential and midterm election years to survey voters in battleground states. We ask who people plan to vote for, how motivated they are to vote and what key issues will influence their choices. AARP shares the results publicly and with candidates and their staff. The goal is to elevate the issues older voters care about most — including Social Security, family caregiving, cost of living and affordability, and Medicare — and emphasize the power of 50-plus voters. This voting bloc most often decides elections, especially in midterm years, when overall turnout is lower.

“It’s very rare that a candidate in a competitive House or Senate race can win the election without winning the 50-plus vote,” Hishta says.

Read about our recent polls in Ohio, Georgia and Arizona.

Sharing voter resources

Voters may have questions about the date of their primary, the deadline to register to vote, or how to fill out and submit a mail-in ballot. AARP’s website has answers.

Our 2026 midterm voter guide includes maps that outline key deadlines and official election information sites in every state. We have tips on how to vote successfully by mail, understand how redistricting affects your ballot, and how to avoid falling prey to election disinformation generated by artificial intelligence. If you’re curious about how the iconic “I Voted” sticker came to be, we have the answer to that too.

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AARP will conduct Q&As with candidates from both parties for some gubernatorial, House and Senate races in select states in the coming months. Find them in the September/October issue of the AARP Bulletin if you live in California, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington or Wisconsin. You can also find extended versions online, including one for Iowa, starting in September.

Your AARP state office may also post resources online or on social media, including important deadlines, upcoming events where you can learn more about the election, questions to ask federal and state candidates (“If elected, how would you work to protect and strengthen Social Security for older Americans, their children and grandchildren?”) and short videos where candidates answer questions posed by AARP. In Wisconsin, for example, five gubernatorial candidates outlined their visions for ensuring Wisconsinites age 50-plus can afford to remain in their homes and communities as they age.

Forming relationships with candidates

AARP state offices are working to meet with every viable candidate running for Congress and many of the candidates running for governor and other state and local offices across the country. One goal is to brief them on the issues that matter most to older voters. By mid-August, AARP staff across the country had met with more than 250 federal candidates, equipped with data such as how many people in their districts rely on Social Security and the results of our polls highlighting the issues of greatest concern. This lays the groundwork for continuing the conversation as the winners settle into office.

“We make sure that we have good relationships with candidates coming out of the elections, regardless of the party,” Hishta says.

AARP Oregon state director Bandana Shrestha hopes to meet with the incumbents and all other viable candidates running for House and Senate in her state. To better prepare for these conversations, Shrestha is consulting with AARP members all over Oregon to learn what’s on their minds.

As of 2024, Oregon was one of 11 states in the country with more residents age 65 and older than residents below the age of 18, according to U.S. Census data. That’s one reason Shrestha brings AARP volunteers to these candidate meetings — they are also constituents. “We want [candidates] to understand this is our reality,” Shrestha says.

Making voter education fun

What do an ice cream social, salsa dancing, a dominoes tournament and a World Cup watch party have in common? These events, organized by AARP Florida this year, might not scream “midterm elections,” but they were all served with a side of fliers and QR codes that attendees could scan to learn more about voting in the Sunshine State.

“Our theory is the people fired up about elections don’t necessarily need us to know where to check their voting site,” says Jeff Johnson, state director of AARP Florida. “It’s the folks engaged in the rest of life who need that reminder.”

AARP Florida brings materials in both English and Spanish to its many events that attract a diverse audience of Latino voters. “It’s a fun-with-purpose approach,” Johnson says. At the World Cup watch party, for example, where AARP Florida rented a private room in a local restaurant, volunteers chatted about the importance of voting during breaks in the game.

Many other AARP state offices incorporate voter education into social events. Some also transmit election information directly into people’s homes by sponsoring televised debates.

AARP Michigan state director Paula Cunningham hosts a weekly network television show called Real Possibilities. Recently, she welcomed the national cochairs of Pillars of the Community, a bipartisan organization that aims to restore public confidence in elections, to talk about the integrity of the voting system. AARP Michigan also partners with the Divine Nine, a group of nine fraternities and sororities from historically Black colleges and universities, to spread the word in their communities about the importance of voting.

Elevating Social Security and caregiving as key issues

AARP speaks out on a range of priorities for Americans 50-plus, from lowering utility rates to protecting older adults from fraud. But we are emphasizing two specific issues in conversations with candidates during the 2026 election year: Social Security and family caregiving.

When you commit to vote for candidates who will protect and strengthen Social Security and support family caregivers by signing our pledges, you help raise the profile of these issues to current and prospective lawmakers.

“We show candidates the power of these numbers,” Hishta says, both leading up to and after the election.

By signing our pledges, you will also receive email alerts from AARP with calls to action, such as writing to your representatives to explain why a tax credit for caregivers is so important.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Miriam Cross is a writer for AARP covering advocacy issues. She previously worked at American Banker and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

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