Top Priorities for Older AAPI Voters this November: Affordability, Social Security and Medicare

Perspectives of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters age 50-plus in 2026

The 2026 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Voter Survey explores voter engagement, candidate preferences, policy priorities, economic and health care concerns, community safety, caregiving responsibilities, election access, and trusted information sources. AARP analysis of data from the national survey looks at the views and priorities of AAPI registered voters age 50-plus ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Key Findings

• AAPI voters age 50-plus are highly engaged in this election. Nearly 8 in 10 (79%) registered voters are absolutely certain they will vote in the midterm elections this November, and 44% are more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year. 
• The top priority for AAPI voters age 50-plus when deciding how to vote is the cost of living and inflation. Day-to-day affordability is extremely important in deciding the vote for 57% of AAPI voters 50-plus, and another 33% rate it as very important.
• AAPI voters age 50-plus strongly support protecting Social Security and Medicare. Eighty-seven percent say Social Security and Medicare are important factors in how they vote (55% say “extremely” important), and 89% agree that elected leaders should ensure workers receive the Social Security benefits they have already paid into. Nearly half (47%) of all AAPI voters 50-plus and 62% of those over 65 say Social Security is either currently a major source of income for their household or is expected to be in the future.
• Health care affordability remains a major concern. Nearly two-thirds of AAPI voters 50-plus (65%) identify health care as one of the most difficult expenses for their household to afford, while 69% are extremely or very concerned about rising health care costs in the coming year. A majority (51%) worry often about not being able to cover an unexpected medical expense.
• Concerns about health coverage and access are widespread. Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) are concerned about losing health insurance, while 56% worry about being unable to access care when needed.
• Caregiving is both a personal and policy concern for older AAPI voters. Nearly one-third (32%) identify as family caregivers, mostly for older or aging family members. Seven in 10 (70%) support stronger federal policies for unpaid family caregivers, and 69% say they would be more likely to support a candidate who backs a tax credit for working family caregivers.
• Fraud and financial security remain concerns. Nearly half (46%) worry very often or somewhat often about losing money to fraud or scams.
• Housing, food, and caregiving costs add to financial strain. In addition to health care, many AAPI voters 50-plus identify housing or rent (53%), food and groceries (47%), and caring for aging family members (28%) as difficult expenses to afford.

Methodology

The survey was conducted June 3 through July 27, 2026, among 2,066 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) registered voters, including 935 voters age 50-plus, which is the basis of this analysis. Interviews were completed online and by telephone in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Data were weighted to represent the national AAPI voter population age 50-plus based on population benchmarks obtained from the November 2024 Current Population Survey Voting Supplement. The survey was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago using its Amplify AAPI panel and partner sample sources.

For more information, please contact Angela Houghton at ahoughton@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.