AARP Exclusive Poll: Trump Leads Biden With Nevada Voters Age 50-Plus

Voters were also asked about Nevada’s U.S. Senate race. Among voters 50-plus, Sam Brown, the Republican candidate, took a 5-percentage-point lead over the incumbent, Jacky Rosen, a Democrat. Voters were asked who would get their vote if the election was held today, and 49 percent of voters 50-plus said they’d vote for Brown versus 44 percent for Rosen. 

Among voters of all ages, the lead reversed, with 47 percent favoring Rosen versus 42 percent for Brown. The shift widened even further when looking at Hispanic voters 50-plus: 55 percent of those polled supported the Democrat compared with 36 percent for Brown, a lead of 19 percentage points for Rosen.

“It’s the margin among Hispanic and Latino voters that’s putting Rosen in the lead,” Ward says.

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Overall, interest in voting in November is high. Ninety-two percent of Nevada voters 50-plus say they will “definitely vote” in the general election for president, U.S. Senate and Congress.

In the 2020 presidential election, 53 percent of the state’s voters were 50-plus, and older voters are expected to make up the majority of the electorate again this year, Ward says.

When voters were polled on how motivated they were to vote, 85 percent of voters 50-plus ranked their motivation as a 10 out of 10, versus 60 percent of voters under 50.

“It’s a 25 point gap…That's a huge difference,” said Ward. “You have to fight this campaign among voters who you know are going to show up, and older voters is where it’s going to happen.”

Issues are often the driving force for these voters. Economic issues, like inflation and rising prices, are among the top-ranking concerns for voters 50-plus.

“Especially for the older worker on a fixed income, even losing a few pennies makes a huge difference,” Moore says.

In the 50-plus age demographic, 63 percent of voters report being worried about their finances, compared with 35 percent who aren’t. Rising food prices are top of mind. Thirty-seven percent of voters 50-plus rank food and groceries as having the greatest impact on their personal financial situation. Other concerns include housing costs and utility bills, like electricity and heating.

“Right now it’s over 106, 107 degrees here, and the cost of electricity is enormous,” Moore says. “If you’re only making very little, and half or more than half is going to that [electricity] bill, it matters.”

Immigration and border security is also a top-ranking issue, with 40 percent of voters 50-plus identifying it among their top two concerns among a list of issues. It’s largely a partisan issue, Liszt says.

“It’s mainly driven by Republicans,” Liszt says. “If you look at the persuadable voters over 50 — the ones that are splitting their tickets — immigration is a less important issue than economic issues.”

When voters were asked about the country’s trajectory, 30 percent in the 50-plus age category say it’s headed in the “right direction,” while 67 percent said the country is heading in the “wrong direction.”

“These voters are telling us pretty clearly that they want a change, and when you put that together with the concern over inflation, it’s pretty clear why they want a change,” Liszt says.

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Social Security is also an issue that’s expected to impact who voters 50-plus support, the poll showed. Eighty-one percent of voters age 50-plus said Social Security is “extremely or very important” to them when deciding who to support this November.  

“Older voters are really getting hammered by grocery and food costs, and that’s why they’re telling us [it’s] such an important issue,” Liszt says.

Fifty-three percent of older voters say Social Security is, or is expected to be, a major source of income, the poll found. Ninety-one percent of voters 50-plus say they’d be more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate candidate who advocates for workers getting the Social Security they paid into through work.

Older voters also identified Medicare (75 percent), cost of utilities (74 percent), policies to help seniors live independently at home as they age (70 percent), housing costs (69 percent) and cost of prescription drugs (65 percent) as “extremely or very important” in their candidate choice.  

Caregiving is also a concern for many older Nevada voters. Twenty-six percent of voters 50-plus say they considered themselves to be a family caregiver for an older or ill adult or someone with a disability, the poll found. Of those caregivers, 35 percent are spending 21 hours or more a week on family caregiving.

“In our state, there are over 340,000 folks that are caring for someone and those are the ones that are reportable,” Moore says.

Sixty-three percent of voters 50-plus said they’d be more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate candidate who supports creating a state grant for family caregiving expenses. Seventy-two percent of voters 50-plus said they’d be more likely to vote for a U.S. Senate candidate who advocates for support for family caregivers who are helping their loved ones live independently in their homes.

Ward sees caregiving as a missed opportunity for candidates, noting that they aren’t currently addressing it enough.

“It touches so many people, and it is a consuming, emotional issue,” Ward says. “That’s the type of issue people want to hear politicians talk about — ‘experience life through my shoes.’”