New AARP Nevada Poll: "Extremely Motivated" Voters Ages 50+ Could Decide Both Presidential and Senate Contests

Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden in presidential race; Senator Jackie Rosen (D) holds the advantage over challenger Sam Brown (R) 

LAS VEGAS, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, AARP Nevada released a 2024 statewide election survey that shows candidates for President, U.S. Senate, and state races should pay close attention to Nevadans ages 50 and older, and the issues they care about.

The 50+ voting bloc holds an outsized importance to this year's election – 85% of Nevadans 50+ are "extremely motivated" to cast a vote in November, significantly higher than the 60% of voters 18-49. With the races being so close this year, appealing to high-turnout voters should be a major campaign priority.

In the presidential race, former President Donald Trump (R) leads President Joe Biden (D) by 7 percentage points among all voters – 44% to 37%, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr getting 10%. Trump's lead is greater among voters ages 50 and older, at 50% to 38%. President Biden leads among 50+ Hispanic and Latino voters in Nevada, 47% to 38%, with Kennedy getting 10%. However, among voters overall, in a head-to-head between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the race is considerably closer: Trump leads Biden 48% to 45%. Ballot access for Kennedy looms large in the race.

In the Senate race, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) leads challenger Sam Brown (R) by 5 percentage points, 47% to 42%. Brown leads Rosen among the important 50+ demographic in AARP's new poll, 49% to 44%, but in the 50+ demographic of Hispanic and Latino voters, Rosen holds a sizeable 55% - 36% lead.

Fifty+ swing voters, who make up 23% of the 50+ electorate, are especially likely to be concerned about personal pocketbook issues, with inflation, Social Security, taxes, and jobs and the economy to be four of their top five most important issues heading into November. Swing voters 50+ are also highly concerned about immigration, with that being their second-most-important issue.

More than a quarter of voters 50+ are family caregivers, with caregivers 50+ accounting for 14% of Nevada voters overall. Hispanic voters 50+ are especially likely to identify as a family caregiver. Caregivers in the 50+ group lean Republican, but are also highly motivated by their important issues, with 80% saying that they'd be inclined to vote for candidates that support tax credits for caregivers, and 71% saying they'd be inclined to vote for candidates that support paid leave for caregivers.

"November's election in Nevada will come down to the crucial group of voters over age 50," said Maria Moore, AARP's Nevada State Director. "To win in Nevada, candidates need to offer real solutions on the issues that matter to older voters, from protecting Social Security to controlling costs of everything from prescription drugs, to housing and groceries."

Other key takeaways from the poll include:  

• Immigration and border security (40%) is the single most important issue to all voters ages 50 and older when deciding who to vote for in November, followed by inflation and rising prices (32%), and threats to democracy (23%).
  • Groceries and food costs highlight the number one concern for the personal financial situation of voters 50 and older (37%), followed by housing costs (14%) and utility bills (14%).
• 26% of the 50+ population say they are a family caregiver. That number rises to 32% of Hispanic and Latino Nevadans age 50 and older.
  • With around a quarter of Nevadans as family caregivers, a strong majority (63%) of Nevadans say that the creation of a state program that would aid and assist in caregiving expenses would influence how they will vote in November.
• A significant majority (67%) of Nevada residents ages 50 and older think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
• 63% of older voters say they are worried about their personal financial situation.

AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) & Impact Research (D) to conduct a survey of voters in Nevada. The firms interviewed 1,368 likely voters, which includes a statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters, an oversample of 488 likely voters age 50 and older, and an additional oversample of 280 Hispanic likely voters age 50 and older. The survey was done between June 12-18, 2024. The interviews were conducted via live interviewer on landline (18%) and cellphone (35%), as well as SMS-to-web (47%). The sample was randomly drawn from the Nevada voter list. Interviews were offered in English and Spanish. The margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level 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 Hispanic voters 50+ is ±4.9%.

View the full survey results at aarp.org/NVpollresults.  

For more information on how, when and where to vote in Nevada, visit states.aarp.org/Nevada.

About AARP 
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media. 

SOURCE AARP