Poll: Ohio seniors list inflation, economy, Social Security as top issues

Mark Richardson

Recent changes on the political scene may have brought many younger voters into the fold, but a new poll shows that in Ohio, older voters could still make up an outsized portion of the electorate in November.

A survey released this week by AARP Ohio finds that 89% of voters ages 50 and older say they are "extremely motivated" to cast a ballot this year.

AARP Ohio state director Jenny Carlson said the polling confirms that candidates need to pay attention to seniors and the issues they care about.

"Fifty-plus voters are the largest voting bloc and could tip the scale of any candidate this election," she said. "They're going to turn out this November. They're the most motivated to vote. They certainly dominate the electorate. Candidates who want to win really need to listen to the results of this poll."

In Ohio's Senate race, Democrat incumbent Sherrod Brown holds an overall four-point lead over Republican Bernie Moreno, but the GOP candidate leads by two points among voters 50 and older. In the presidential race, the poll found senior voters prefer Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by a 54% to 36% margin.

A large majority of Ohio seniors list candidates' positions on economic issues as very important, along with such concerns as protecting Medicare, helping people stay in their homes as they age, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

Carlson said money issues came up most often.

"Three in five of Ohio voters rank 'personal economic issues' as a top determinant for their vote this November," she said. "That's inflation, economy and Social Security. Older voters are highly concerned about pocketbook issues."

Carlson noted that Ohio seniors also have strong opinions on providing support for family caregivers. Across the state, she said, family caregivers provide about $21 billion of unpaid labor. While this saves taxpayers billions of dollars, it strains many family budgets to the breaking point.

"Family caregivers are those 50-plus who represent about 17% of all Ohio voters," she said. "What's significant about this? That is more than the swing voters, which is about 14%. So, they will vote for the candidate who advocates for them."