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SALT LAKE CITY — As the Utah state director for AARP, Alan Ormsby wanted to know what issues older Utahns are concerned with this election.
Voters across the country over the age of 50 are estimated to be 66% of all voters on Election Day, the largest block of any demographic group. They also have a long history of voting in all elections across the U.S. and in Utah. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Utah ranks 10th in the country for voter participation among this older group, a major feat considering the state as a whole ranks 31st.
In other words, Ormsby did not spend Thursday talking to media asking them to assist in encouraging Utahns to vote in the election that is now 2½ weeks away. He was here to inform everyone of what they are missing if campaigns do not pay attention to the needs of this group.
"We're trying to make sure that everybody knows that they're a really important bloc of voters and they can do really important things," Ormsby said. "They have really important concerns. ... This is not a voting bloc to be ignored."
Nationally, AARP reports that — based on their polls of anyone older than 50, not solely their members — people over 50 are concerned about maintaining Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare; the cost of prescription drugs; and being able to live independently in their homes. When looking specifically at those over 65, the topics change to concerns about terrorism, the economy and immigration, according to the Pew Research Center.
In Utah, these older voters find Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare to be the most important issue for this presidential election, followed by caregiver assistance and control over property taxes. There is also high support for tax credits for caregivers and applying the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave Act to businesses with at least 25 employees; currently the lowest number is 50 employees.
The caregiving issue has continued to grow with each election as both the caregiver and the person being cared for may be older than 50. Also, in Utah, Ormsby reports that close to 435,000 Utahns are caring for a member of their family. As it stands now, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men is a caregiver in Utah for a parent, a sibling, a child and others.
"This is a really big issue for people," Ormsby said. "(Caregivers and potential caregivers) want to make sure that the world is set up in a way that supports family caregivers."
From what anyone can tell, people over 50 in Utah and beyond are gearing up to vote. It was not always this way. Until 1980 younger voters went to the polls in larger numbers than their older peers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Since then, with the aging of the Baby Boomers and the disengagement of younger people who did not have the Vietnam War or the Civil Rights Movement to cause them to vote, people over 50 in Utah and elsewhere have led to way to the polls for all age groups.
What is difficult to determine is who they are going to vote for on Nov. 5.
The AARP is a nonpartisan organization that welcomes all people across the political spectrum. It is a rare organization in the present political climate that can bring registered Republicans and registered Democrats together to address their political concerns.
As the largest voting bloc in the country, older Americans generally and Utahns specifically are prepared to be courted for their vote, although this year the political visits have been later than usual. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have organized events across the country in the next few weeks specifically to target folks older than 50, however.
"I wouldn't necessarily say they're going to vote one kind of way or another," Ormsby said. "It's kind of remarkable in many, many ways ... bringing people of the different parties. I think it's because most of the issues AARP and others are seeing are cross-cutting, kitchen-table issues that are impacting everybody. And they feel like voting is a sacred duty to them.
"There's absolutely no question that people 50-plus will have a significant impact on this election. Politicians really need to be paying attention in a local way."
