In New Hampshire, elections are personal. Candidates meet voters in diners, at town halls and in communities from Coos County to the Seacoast. That tradition gives Granite Staters a direct opportunity to tell candidates what they expect from those seeking public office.
Voters age 50 and older are making their expectations clear: protect Social Security, make healthcare and prescription drugs more affordable, support family caregivers and help people remain financially secure and independent as they age. These are not partisan demands. They are kitchen table concerns.
A new AARP New Hampshire poll, conducted in partnership with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, shows just how engaged older voters are. Among likely voters age 50-plus, 97% say they will definitely vote in the 2026 general election, and 88% rate themselves extremely motivated to vote. Voters 50-plus also make up 67% of New Hampshire’s registered voters.
AARP conducts polls like this for one reason: to ensure that the priorities of New Hampshire voters age 50 and older, the state’s largest and most reliable voting bloc, remain part of the conversation throughout the election season.
One lesson we have learned election after election is that older voters should never be treated as a single voting bloc. They are Republicans, Democrats and undeclared voters. They live in every corner of New Hampshire. Some are still working; others are retired. Many are caring for aging parents, spouses or grandchildren. What unites them is not party affiliation or ideology. It is a shared focus on protecting their financial security, maintaining their health and living independently as they age.
Affordability is high on the list. Fifty-seven percent of voters 50-plus say they are worried about their personal financial situation. Asked which two areas concern them most when it comes to rising prices, 39% cite health care, 36% groceries, 33% gasoline and 30% utilities. These costs are not abstract. They shape decisions about food, heating, transportation and medical care every month.
Even more striking is how strongly older voters feel about fundamental issues such as Social Security. More than 353,000 Granite Staters receive Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits. The poll finds that 98% of voters 50-plus consider Social Security important, and 68% say it is now, or is expected to be, a major source of household income. An overwhelming 96% say they would be more likely to support a candidate who makes sure workers receive the Social Security they paid into and earned through a lifetime of hard work. That support cuts across party and ideology.
Older voters also recognize the importance of supporting family caregivers. These Granite Staters help loved ones with meals, transportation, medications and complex care, often while balancing jobs and household responsibilities. Seventy-five percent of voters 50-plus say they would be more likely to support a candidate who provides family caregivers with more support and resources. The same share would be more likely to support a candidate who backs a federal tax credit to help cover caregiving expenses.
Caregiving is closely connected to health and independence. Among voters 50-plus, 86% say health care costs are extremely or very important, 69% say the same about prescription drug costs, and 75% call policies that help older adults live independently at home extremely or very important.
The message for candidates is straightforward: offer practical solutions. Protect the Social Security benefits people have earned. Address health care and prescription drug costs. Save family caregivers time and money. Help Granite Staters remain in their homes and communities and build financial security as they age.
AARP does not support or oppose candidates or political parties. Our role is to make sure the voices of older Americans are heard and voters have the information they need to make their own choices. In New Hampshire, candidates cannot afford to overlook voters 50-plus. They are paying attention, asking questions and looking for leaders who understand the everyday realities of life in the Granite State.
Christina FitzPatrick is the state director of American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).