WASHINGTON—A newly released AARP poll finds that an overwhelming majority (80%) of New Hampshire women voters age 50 and over definitely plan to vote in the state’s primary next week. The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, shows that women 50-plus are most concerned about health care (44%) and a majority (52%) say drug companies are most responsible for rising health care costs.

“In 2020, women over 50 plan to turn out to vote in force, making them a key group that could decide this year’s elections in New Hampshire and beyond,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP EVP and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “History shows 50-plus women voters make a difference and candidates ignore these crucial voters and the issues they care about at their peril.”

“Consistent with New Hampshire’s fine tradition of political engagement and ‘retail politics’, this poll reinforces that Granite state 50-plus women voters – across the political spectrum – are watching,” said Todd Fahey, AARP New Hampshire State Director. These women are engaged, astute, and determined to vote to make their voices heard on February 11^th on key issues that matter to them.”

This survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of AARP from December 5 to December 25, 2019 among 751 age 50-plus, self-identified registered women voters in New Hampshire.

Additional findings from the survey include:  

• Women voters 50 and over will turn out in force in the state’s primary with a remarkable 86% of Democrats, 73% of Republicans and 81% of Independents saying they definitely plan to vote.
• One-third (33%) say they can’t afford to pay for their health care, and 30% report skipping medical care because it was too expensive.
• 50-plus women cited health care as the top issue facing the country (44%), and significantly more than other prominent issues, including the environment (33%), immigration (26%), terrorism and national security (20%), and the economy and jobs (16%).
• An overwhelming majority of 50-plus women across party lines believe that health care should be a right, not a privilege (87%), and that older people (93%) and those with preexisting conditions (89%) shouldn’t have to pay more.
• More than one-third (36%) of women 50-plus give elected officials a failing grade on dealing with the cost of health care and prescription drugs.

The New Hampshire poll is the third in AARP’s “She’s the Difference” series, which will run throughout the 2020 election cycle. The series explores the priorities and concerns of women voters ages 50 and older – a key demographic that will likely determine the outcome of races across the country. A national poll released last month, the first in this series, found that 95% of women over 50 plan to vote in the 2020 general election, and nearly 7 in 10 have not decided who they will vote for. A second survey of Iowa voters was released in January in the lead up to the Iowa Caucuses.

This survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of AARP from December 5 to December 25, 2019 among 751 age 50-plus, self-identified registered women voters in New Hampshire. The data from phone and online interviews were combined and weighted to reflect known demographics. The data are weighted to the population of female New Hampshire residents age 50-plus using population benchmarks from the Census Bureau’s March 2019 Current Population Survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2017 National Health Interview Survey. Weighting by education, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, marital status, household income, employment status, and landline/cell phone usage bring these data into line with the actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online to ensure representativeness among the online respondents. For telephone respondents, number of phone lines, recent phonelessness, and number of adults in the household were also included to account for probability of selection. In keeping with standards set by the American Association for Public Opinion Research, The Harris Poll does not estimate margin of error for this representative sample.

###

About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

About AARP New Hampshire
AARP is thriving in New Hampshire with nearly 225,000 members. AARP serves as a one-stop resource for the age 50+ population in the Granite State. We provides information about the breadth of local offerings, community engagement, volunteer opportunities, advocacy, and fun events. We are focused on advancing age-friendly communities, celebrating family caregivers, protecting financial security and making your voice heard. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/nh or follow @AARPNH on social media.

New Hampshire Media: Pamela Dube, pdube@aarp.org, 603-230-4103

National Media: Colby Nelson, cnelson@aarp.org, 202-706-8416