AARP Poll: Women 50+ Say Social Security, Medicare, Healthcare Costs Will Influence 2024 Vote

AARP Pennsylvania recently released key findings from its first 2024 election survey that shows candidates should pay close attention to Pennsylvanians age 50 and older. The survey also revealed that the priorities and concerns of Pennsylvania women voters 50 and older will likely influence the outcome of the 2024 election and could be the difference in this election. Women 50+ account for- almost one-third (29%) of likely voters overall and more than half (53%) of likely voters 50-plus in the state.

New data from AARP Pennsylvania’s poll of likely voters show women voters 50 and older favor President Joe Biden (D) over former President Donald Trump (R) by a one-point margin (48%-47%) and prefer Senator Bob Casey (D) over Dave McCormick for U.S. Senate by an 11-point margin.

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The survey also revealed that in the race for U.S. Senate, the top three areas most important to women 50+ are immigration and border security, inflation and rising prices, and reproductive issues. Social Security and the economy were also ranked high on the list of important issues to women 50+.

“At AARP, we know that the election is coming at a time when women 50+ are worried and feeling stretched to the limit,” said Bill Johnston-Walsh, AARP Pennsylvania State Director. “With inflation and the rising costs of living squeezing Pennsylvania households, women are feeling the pinch directly. But women 50+ consistently vote, and their message is clear: candidates need to understand and provide solutions to the issues that are significantly impacting their lives.”

Overall, when asked what their top price concerns were, women 50+ said utilities (51%), food (48%) and healthcare/prescription drugs (44%). Among suburban women voters – who have played an outsized role in the last several elections – healthcare/prescription drugs and food prices are tied for the most important cost concern (51%), with utilities the third highest cost concern (47%). The importance of these issues is clear across partisan lines, with majorities and near-majorities of Democratic and Republican women 50+ saying these issues are important to them.

Additional takeaways from the survey for Pennsylvania women voters 50 and older include:

• 92% are more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate candidate who supports making sure workers get the Social Security they paid into and earned through a lifetime of hard work
• 81% are more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate candidate who is dedicated to providing support for family caregivers who are helping their loved ones live independently in their homes
• 77% are more likely to support a candidate for senate who supports providing paid leave so unpaid family caregivers can care for loved ones without losing their job or salary.
• 67% of women voters 50 and older believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. This number nearly matches the overall number of likely voters 50+ saying the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, which is 68%.

AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward & Impact Research to conduct a survey. The firms interviewed 1,398 likely Pennsylvania voters, which includes a statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters, with an oversample of 470 likely voters age 50 and older and an additional oversample of 328 Black likely voters age 50 and older, between April 24-30, 2024. The interviews were conducted via landline, cellphone, and SMS-to-web. The margin of sampling error for the 600 statewide sample is ±4.0%; for the 800 total sample of voters 50+ is ±3.5%; for the 400 total sample of Black voters 50+ is ±4.9%.