PORTLAND, OR -- Oregon’s electorate is aging. In the 2022 election, 58% of voters were over the age of 50. "The 50+ voting bloc is very powerful," says AARP-Oregon's Stacy Larsen, "It’s very large, so candidates should pay attention."

Larsen says those voters are concerned about the high cost of living in retirement, "AARP just released a survey finding that one in five Americans aged 50+ have no retirement savings. So, 20% have no retirement savings, and over half worry that they will not have enough to last in retirement." She adds, "Specifically, our polling shows that older voters want political candidates to protect Social Security and Medicare. Americans have paid into those programs. They’ve earned them through years of hard work." She notes supporting family caregivers who help the elderly age in place is also a top priority.

Larsen acknowledges the issues important to the 50+ voter are not necessarily what candidates are talking about at campaign stops. But, she says, "We’re focused on asking every candidate that’s running for major federal or state election for their positions on family caregiving and on Social Security." And, she says, "Preserving Social Security is something that we encourage, we urge all voters to ask candidates about. This isn’t a partisan issue. This is something that we believe both parties can come together and agree on a solution to fix the Social Security shortfall." Click HERE to learn more about AARP-Oregon's non-partisan priorities for the 2024 election. 

Tuesday, April 30 is the deadline to register to vote or change your registration, ahead of the May primary.