AARP Pennsylvania Poll: PA Voters Worried About Scams and Fraud, Support Creation of Keystone Saves

With the 2024 general election six months away, a new AARP poll shows that Pennsylvania voters 50 and older are concerned about having the financial resources needed to live securely. From losing money or property to scams and fraud to being concerned about their personal financial situation, voters 50+ are worried about their financial futures.

When asked how concerned they are about the issue of fraud through tactics like robo-calls, phishing emails or other scams that could negatively impact them and their families, 62% of voters 50+ say they are very concerned. This is an issue that transcends political affiliation, with voters of all political stripes expressing concern.

When asked about Keystone Saves, a retirement savings program for the 40% of Pennsylvania workers who do not have access to one through their employer, almost 4-in-5 Pennsylvania voters 50+ favor the creation of the program, with strong bi-partisan support.

Additionally, the survey found tight races for key state offices, including the PA Office of Attorney General and the closely divided PA House of Representatives. Elected officials who hold these positions play critical roles in protecting Pennsylvanians from deceptive practices and supporting small businesses who want to provide easy access to a retirement savings program - like Keystone Saves.

In the race for state Attorney General, voters overall slightly favor District Attorney Dave Sunday (R) over former Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene Pasquale (D), 44%-43%, but that lead widens to 49%-41% among voters 50+. The closely divided PA House of Representatives is poised to be very competitive once again. With all 203 members up for re-election, when asked who they were likely to vote for if the election were held today, likely voters overall favor Republican candidates over Democratic ones 47%-45%, while likely voters 50+ pick a Republican by a 12-point margin.

“Pennsylvania voters 50+ are united in their concern over personal economic issues, including inflation, economy/jobs, and Social Security. “These are issues that will largely determine their vote in November,” said AARP Pennsylvania State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh. “A candidate running to keep their job or win a new one has a major opportunity to reach key voters by talking about their plans to protect Pennsylvanians from fraud and scams and help them save for retirement so they can retire with dignity and financial security.”

Pennsylvanians ages 50+ will be key in determining who wins in November. This voting bloc makes up an outsized portion of the electorate: in the 2020 elections, older voters accounted for 55% of all Pennsylvania voters and in the 2022 mid-terms, they made up 62% of the state’s voters. Eighty-five percent of voters ages 50+ say they are “extremely motivated” to vote in this election.

Other takeaways from the new poll:

· Many issues are driving concerns about costs for voters 50+, with a clear top trio of utilities, food, and health care/prescription drugs.

· A 63% majority of voters 50+ are worried about their personal financial situation, with majorities indicating worry regardless of gender, age, party, race or caregiving status.

AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward & Impact Research to conduct a survey. The firms interviewed 1,398 likely Pennsylvania voters, which includes a statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters, with an oversample of 470 likely voters age 50 and older and an additional oversample of 328 Black likely voters age 50 and older, between April 24-30, 2024. The interviews were conducted via landline, cellphone, and SMS-to-web. The margin of sampling error for the 600 statewide sample is ±4.0%; for the 800 total sample of voters 50+ is ±3.5%; for the 400 total sample of Black voters 50+ is ±4.9%.

View the full survey results at aarp.org/PApolling.

For more information on how, when, and where to vote in Pennsylvania, visit aarp.org/PAVotes.

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About AARPAARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.