After the much-talked-about presidential debate, pollsters have a fresh snapshot of how Wisconsin voters feel about the leading candidates. Older voters here suggested they will be even more active in having their say.
The poll in a crucial battleground state, released by AARP, was conducted right after the first debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. In Wisconsin, Trump now leads Biden by six percentage points among voters age 18 and up, according to the new survey.
Bob Ward, partner at the research firm Fabrizio Ward, pointed out a very high percentage of voters 50 and older are extremely motivated to cast their ballot, more so than younger populations.
"There's typically a motivation gap but not by the size that we're seeing now," Ward pointed out. "That's what makes this election really different and why it makes the voters 50+ such a key deciding bloc in the electorate."
Among voters age 50 and older, 83% said a candidate's position on Social Security is very important in shaping their vote. Medicare was at 72%. More than 1,000 likely voters around Wisconsin were interviewed, with an oversampling of nearly 450 likely voters past the age of 50.
The age of the leading presidential candidates is dominating national rhetoric about the election but Ward emphasized under the poll, voters strongly indicated they are not too happy about their economic situation.
"The debate had its impact on this race but I think the fundamentals of this race is that people are really feeling an economic pinch," Ward observed.
Despite a strong jobs market, economic factors like inflation and rising prices were cited as key concerns among older adults. Ward added it appears President Biden is taking the blame for the sentiment but overall, both candidates are not being looked at favorably.
