WASHINGTON, D.C.—In a newly released AARP-Politico poll, Ohio voters age 50 and over are concerned about health care and personal finance issues. The poll found health care (81 percent), Social Security (80 percent) and Medicare (76 percent) will help determine their vote for Congress this fall, and a strong majority (74 percent) support preserving the state’s Medicaid expansion.

“With less than 50 days to go before Election Day, candidates in Ohio would be wise to listen to the state’s most powerful voting group: 50-plus voters,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “History shows older voters turn out in force in every election, and AARP is making sure they are energized and know where candidates stand on the issues.”

AARP has partnered with Politico to create a series titled “The Deciders,” that integrates original polling focused on 50-plus voters, reporting, data analysis and cutting-edge data visualization tools built by Politico’s specialized interactive team. The third edition in the series is focused on Ohio, a key election battleground state. Other recent polls surveyed voters in Arizona and Florida.

The Ohio poll findings include:

• A significant majority of 50-plus voters say Social Security (80 percent), health care (81 percent), Medicare (76 percent) and prescription drug prices (65 percent) are “very important” issues as they cast their vote in November;

• 74 percent of 50-plus voters “strongly support” (42 percent) or “somewhat support” (32 percent) preserving Ohio’s Medicaid expansion which extended Medicaid eligibility for low-income residents under the Affordable Care Act;
• 91 percent of 50-plus voters are “very concerned” (55 percent) or “somewhat concerned” (36 percent) about their utility bills increasing;
• 69 percent of 50-plus voters “strongly support” (27 percent) or “somewhat support” (42 percent) creating an Ohio retirement savings plan;
• 74 percent of 50-plus voters say opioid addiction is “a very serious problem” in the state right now, and 61 percent say the government is not doing enough to address it;
• 70 percent of 50-plus voters “strongly agree” that jobs and the economy are major issues this election season. Only one in five (23 percent) feel “well-prepared” to get and keep a job;
• Nearly half (46 percent) of 50-plus voters think government is unprepared to prevent a cyber-attack on public infrastructure.

The Politico-AARP poll, conducted by Morning Consult, surveyed 1,592 registered voters in Ohio from September 2 to 11, 2018 with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points. For voters 50 and older, the poll surveyed 841 registered voters and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. The poll must be sourced as a Politico-AARP poll.

In addition to the Politico partnership, AARP launched "Be The Difference. Vote™," a comprehensive voter engagement campaign to encourage Americans age 50-plus to go to the polls in the 2018 midterm elections. The campaign has spotlighted issues of particular importance to older voters are front and center, including Medicare, Social Security, financial security, prescription drug costs and family caregiving.

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About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

About Politico
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