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Voting insights, resources available to voters

The upcoming midterm elections are when you decide who represents you in the legislature and in Congress. AARP provides several insights and informational resources to help you find voting locations and prepare to vote.

1. Research:

A national survey from AARP last spring revealed some of the priorities and concerns of a critical voting demographic that will determine the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections: women voters age 50 and older. Among the key findings was that the top issues for this group is the day-to-day experience of rising prices.

— Nearly half (46%) rank rising cost of living as the most important issue facing the country today.

— 72% are concerned about having enough income to keep up with rising costs, with 48% saying they are very concerned.

— A majority (52%) say the economy is not working well for them, a 15-point change from 2019, when just 37% of women said the economy was not working well for them.

Additionally, women voters age 50 and over are concerned about political division in the country.

— By more than a two-to-one margin, these voters want a politician willing to work together to get things done, even if the result is an occasional compromise that goes against voters’ values (67%), over a politician who consistently fights for their values but doesn’t often find a solution (30%).

— Significant majorities give elected officials D/F grades on issues including prices rising faster than income (82%), crime (78%), immigration (75%), cost of healthcare and prescription drugs (75%), and the wage gap between rich and poor (71%).

2. Questions to ask when candidates come knocking:

In North Dakota we know that voters 50 and over are interested in many of the same national level issues noted above, but that living independently, the cost of utilities and prescription drugs, as well as increasing fraud and scam crimes, also are of concern. The following questions can help you determine where candidates stand on these key issues.

— How will you protect and expand services and supports to allow more seniors to live independently in their homes and communities?

— If elected, how will you ensure utility bills are fair and affordable for North Dakotans?  

— According to government estimates, older Americans lose more than $3 billion a year to fraudsters. If elected what specific strategies are you considering to combatting fraud and protecting consumers?

— How will you work to bring North Dakotans some relief from the high cost of prescription drugs?

3. Candidate debates:

See the candidates lay out their platforms first-hand when you watch or listen to the AARP-sponsored candidate debates on your local Prairie Public TV or radio station or watch on the PBS Livestream.

— N.D. U.S. House Debate | Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.

— N.D. Attorney General Debate | Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m.

— N.D. U.S. Senate Debate|Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m.

4. Voter resource page: With changes to districts, where and how you vote may have changed. AARP ND offers a non-partisan, non-political resource page with links to help you learn more about the candidates, where and when to vote at aarp.org/NDvotes.

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