In February 2011, CARDI published "Focus on older voters", an article which examined the voting behaviour of older people in NI and ROI. In advance of the NI Assembly and Local Elections on 5 May, this article has now been updated to concentrate on the NI political party stances on older people’s issues.

Key findings

• 21% of eligible voters in NI and 17% of eligible voters in ROI are over the age of 65.
• 63% of people aged 65 and over voted in the last NI Assembly elections, while 88% of voters aged 65 and over voted in the last ROI general election.
• There is some evidence of a correlation between age and attitudes to public spending, with older people preferring public spending on pensions over public spending on education.
• 81% of older people believe that the NI Assembly needs to make a greater effort to address older people’s issues.
• How older people are viewed politically is crucial. A traditional view is that past retirement age,
an individual’s economic and social worth is diminished. However, older people are healthier, more independent and more empowered than ever.

Read the full article here: Focus on older voters - NI update