AARP Bulletin Survey on Election Issues
The AARP Bulletin commissioned a nationwide survey in January 2012 to understand the issues that are important to voters when choosing a candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The survey also looked at the public’s confidence in certain entities (e.g., state government, federal government, and businesses) with regard to a variety of issues.
Key findings include:
- Nine in ten adults (93%) are interested in the upcoming presidential election. While no age differences exist on overall interest, intensity is higher among older adults.
- Intent to vote in the upcoming election is high, especially among Republicans. Overall, nine in ten adults (90%) expect to vote.
- The economy, government competence, and health care costs will be the top of mind issues when choosing a candidate. Eight in ten adults (82%) say job growth will be a very important issue when choosing a candidate to vote for in the 2012 election. More than seven in ten adults (78%) say government competence will be a very important issue and 77% say rising health care costs will be a very important issue.
- A solid plan to address the country’s problems matters most when choosing a presidential candidate. Almost four in ten adults (39%) believe that whether the candidate has a solid plan to address the country’s problems matters most.
The survey was conducted for AARP by Woelfel Research, an independent research firm. Interviews were conducted January 17-21, 2012 among a nationally representative sample of 1,001 adults age 18+. For more information, contact Laura Skufca at (202) 434-6285 .