THEY have so far proven remarkably resistant to whatever tide is flowing in the nationalists’ direction.
Scotland’s “grey” voters — about one in four of all those eligible to vote — have throughout the campaign persistently proven among the least willing to back independence.
Although YouGov reports today that 51% of all voters are now inclined to say “yes”, it finds at the same time that only 38% of the over-60s are willing to do the same.
The result echoes other recent polls that have put the overall “yes” vote close to the 50% mark.
Survation, whose most recent poll also put “yes” on 47%, reported that only 32% of over-65s backed independence.
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Similarly, ICM, which put the overall “yes” vote only a little lower at 45%, found that just 27% intended to vote “yes”.
This difference matters, not only because there are so many older voters but also because they are more likely to vote.
According to YouGov, 94% of the over-60s are certain to vote, compared with 85% of those aged 25 to 39. Both ICM and Survation suggest the age gap in people’s willingness to vote could be even bigger.
In part, the reluctance of older voters to back independence is a question of identity. For many, their sense of British identity still matters.
Asked by the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey to give themselves a score of between one and seven to say how British they are, as many as one in three (34%) give themselves a score of seven, compared with 20% of Scots in general.
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However they are also less convinced of the practical case for independence. According to the YouGov poll, as many as 51% believe Scotland would be economically worse off under independence, far higher than in any other age group.
Meanwhile, even though (or perhaps because) they are its biggest users, older voters are less likely to believe the “yes” side’s claims that the health service will suffer if Scotland remains in the Union. Unlike any other age group they are more likely to think the NHS would get worse rather than better under independence.
At the same time, older voters are concerned about their pensions.
According to a Survation poll of pensioners, as many as 72% say they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about how pensions would be funded under independence.
Against that backdrop it looks unlikely, despite hopes on the “yes” side, that older voters might be persuaded to change their minds by a chat with their independence-supporting children or grandchildren.
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Indeed, as many as 43% of them are already aware that their views are not shared by everyone in their family.
After all, old(er) habits die hard.
John Curtice is professor of politics at Strathclyde University.