AARP’s “What I Want to Know” campaign is connecting older North Carolina voters and the US Senate candidates

RALEIGH – With the lack of specifics from North Carolina’s candidates for Congress about how they will work to improve the financial security of mid-life and older adults, AARP is delivering “What I Want to Know” postcards to the U.S. Senate candidates throughout the month of October.

A recent AARP election year poll revealed that voters 50 years and older who will most likely participate in the November election worry that a secure retirement could be out of reach for them.

According to AARP North Carolina Director Doug Dickerson, “too little is being said by candidates about how to strengthen the financial security of all Americans. Voters want us to press our congressional candidates to openly express their views about how Americans can strengthen their financial future.

“Across party lines, candidates are courting the senior vote, but voters 50 and older want candidates to focus on improving their financial security, as they think their incomes have not kept up with their cost of living—especially health costs, taxes and retirement security. The overwhelming majority of 50-plus voters want to live independently as they age, and they see this as a critical election issue,” Dickerson said.

With the election only a month away, AARP is delivering voters’ own questions to the Senate candidates asking them to respond directly or publicly to the important questions that could help determine who undecided voters will chose.

Most frequently, voters are asking about specifics about the future of important programs that are vital to the health and economic security of future retirees. AARP Voter Guides for the state’s 13 House Races and the Senate race is a starting point where people can find out where candidates stand on issues important to people 50 and older, including Caregiving, Medicare, Social Security and Financial Security.

But according to AARP, voters want to hear much greater detail from the candidates. A few of the most common questions voters still have are:

How would you help Americans save so they can secure their future and live independently as they age?

How would you protect Social Security for today’s seniors and strengthen it for future generations?

How would you put Medicare on stronger financial ground and protect today’s seniors and future retirees from rising health costs?

North Carolina voters who want AARP to deliver their questions can download a postcard or send their questions directly to NCAARP@aarp.org