Seniors in focus for 2012 election


Many studies have shown retirement living seniors are one of the most active political groups, and a recent report from RealClearPolitics.com said seniors over the age of 60 have twice the voter turnout of youth voters.

With the 2012 presidential election in the United States approaching, politicians are increasingly seeing the potential of the retirement living demographic, and especially in states such as Florida which house a large number of seniors.

One town in particular is called The Villages, and it is a master-planned community of about 80,000 retirees just outside Orlando. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, this will be a hotbed of political activity until November 2012.

“You can't win the White House without Florida, and you've got to go through The Villages to win Florida,” Richard Cole, a 68 year-old lawyer and president of his local Republican club, told the media outlet.

According to the article, some of the issues which local seniors are concerned about include social security, the economy, as well as housing prices.

“People will tell you their children and grandchildren are not going to be better off than they were, and they’re upset about it,” Marlene O'Toole, 66, a state representative, told the news source.

With more than three million Floridians over the age of 65, and countless assisted living and retirement living communities spread across the state, expect more politicians to be paying plenty of attention to Florida as the 2012 election looms.