New AARP poll reveals that older voters prioritized personal economic issues, which helped Republicans win on Election Day.

• A majority of older voters prioritized economic concerns, such as inflation, the economy, and jobs, as well as Social Security, when casting their vote.

According to a recent poll by the AARP, many older voters aged 50 and above responded "no" when asked if they are better off today than they were four years ago.

Over 47% of older voters and more than 55% of swing voters in the same age group reported feeling "worse off now," according to research.

AARP found that President-elect Donald Trump won the 50 and over vote by two percentage points in competitive Congressional districts, which is the same margin by which he carried the country.

Trump's presidency could impact the housing market, student loan forgiveness program, and the Fed's latest interest rate cut.

A bipartisan team of Republican and Democrat firms, Impact Research, was commissioned by AARP to conduct a survey on public opinion and consulting in targeted congressional districts following Election Day. The survey involved interviews with 2,348 "likely voters" between Nov. 6 and 10.

According to Bob Ward, a Republican pollster and partner at Fabrizio Ward, older voters, who are a significant portion of the vote and tend to lean Republican, played a crucial role in several key congressional races.

Older swing voters focused on pocketbook issues

In a June AARP survey, 62% of voters aged 50 and over expressed concern about their personal finances, while 63% of all voters did the same.

According to the latest AARP poll, voters prioritized their financial worries on Election Day.

Jeff Liszt, partner at Impact Research, stated that the surveys conducted for AARP revealed a lack of economic security among people.

He stated that the shock of inflation had left them without a sense of security.

According to the poll, for voters aged 50 and above, food was the top cost concern, with 39% of respondents citing it as such. Health care and prescription drugs came in second with 20%, while housing, gasoline, and electricity followed with 14%, 10%, and 6%, respectively.

Over 55% of older voters prioritized personal economic concerns, such as inflation, the economy, and jobs, as well as Social Security, when casting their vote.

According to the poll, it was the pocketbook concerns that motivated older swing voters to vote more frequently than any other priorities.

Older voters leaned towards Republicans on most personal economic issues, but Democrats remained preferred on Social Security by a slim margin of two points among this age group.

While Democrats have traditionally held a stronger lead on Social Security, the latest poll results indicate that the issue is now "completely up for grabs," according to Ward.

"Regardless of whether I'm Republican or Democrat, winning on the midterms issue is important to me," Ward stated.

Medicare negotiating prescription drug prices and policies to help the older population age at home are broadly supported by voters 50 and over. Additionally, some older voters have non-financial concerns such as immigration, border security, and threats to democracy.

Social Security reform may be bigger focus

Although both presidential candidates pledged to safeguard Social Security during their campaigns, they did not present strategies to reinstate the program's financial stability.

It is evident that an action-forcing event is approaching, and Congress will eventually have to take action, according to Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an organization that advocates for expanding the program.

The House passed legislation this week that would eliminate rules reducing Social Security benefits for some individuals with pension income, potentially worsening the program's insolvency. Despite Trump's plans to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, research shows this would exacerbate the program's financial problems.

According to the AARP, Social Security is the primary source of retirement income for most Americans. Approximately 42% of people aged 65 and over rely on the program for at least 50% of their incomes, while about 20% rely on it for at least 90% of their incomes.

Medicare's Part A program, which provides hospital insurance, is also facing a potential trust fund depletion, similar to Social Security.

In a recent interview with CNBC, AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan stated that it is crucial to protect Medicare and Social Security while being financially responsible.