Americans 50 and older are our nation’s most powerful voters – and with overall voter turnout tending to be lower in a nonpresidential year – they will be the deciders in the 2022 elections. Americans over the age of 50 consistently show up more often to vote compared to younger voters. Take the last midterm elections, in 2018: Turnout among voters 60 and over was 66 percent compared to 56 percent for those aged 45 to 59 and 33 percent for people 18 to 29. 

Voters 50 and older want to make sure that the people they are voting for will really represent them. They take time to find out where candidates stand on the issues important to them and evaluate how much progress incumbent lawmakers have made.  

AARP is fighting for voters to make their voices heard on the issues that matter – rising prices, people struggling to pay for groceries and gas, dealing with the pandemic, health and financial security, and retirement savings in crisis.AARP Connecticut urges residents age 50 and over to ask the candidates for the state office seats four key questions: 

• What action(s) will youtake to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs and reduce the impact of the cost of prescription drugs on taxpayers and insurance premiums? 
• In these inflationary times, what will you do to help ensure that Connecticut’s middle-income retirees on fixed incomes are able to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets? 
• How do you plan to address the growing long-term care workforce crisis in the state? 

• Gas prices are higher than ever, which is difficult for older adults on fixed incomes. Yet, alternatives to cars in Connecticut are limited. What will you do to help older adults access other forms of transportation? 

This may be a non-presidential election, but your voice and your vote will help choose the people who represent the residents of our state in a variety of important legislative positions, including Connecticut’s governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of the state, comptroller, and treasurer; all 36 seats of the State Senate and 151 State House seats; and all five of the state’s U.S. House seats plus one of the two U.S. Senate seats. 

AARP works to make sure candidates keep their promises and provides Americans 50 and over with trusted information about the 2022 elections. Visit aarp.org/CTVotes, or text CTVOTES to 22777, to get the latest on key voting changes, voting deadlines, how to find your polling place, what ID may be necessary to vote, the different ways to vote in the August 9 primary and November 8 general election, and more. You will find the documents translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian (Creole), Polish, and Chinese. You can also visit the Secretary of State’s website at portal.ct.gov/sots. 

Nora Duncan is the state director for AARP Connecticut.