Women's Voices. Women Vote. - News Articles

Consumer Federation of America: "Women On Their Own In Much Worse Financial Condition Than Other Americans

2008-12-09T18:00:00Z

Washington, DC – The 26 percent of all households headed only by a woman earn, save, and have accumulated far less wealth than have other American households, according to a Consumer Federation of America (CFA) analysis of the most recent data collected by the Federal Reserve Board's authoritative Survey of Consumer Finances.

Analysis of Fed Data Shows They Earn and Save Much Less

"Clearly women on their own face far greater financial challenges than do other Americans," said Professor Catherine Montalto of Ohio State University, co-author of the analysis.

"Useful financial advice and assistance should be made available to women who support themselves, especially those who are single, separated, or divorced," said CFA Executive Director, Stephen Brobeck, who co-authored the analysis.

The financial differences between the 31 million women who head households themselves and all U.S. American households are substantial, according to Survey of Consumer Finances data collected in 2004 and released in 2007. The typical (median) household income of the women was $22,592 while that of all households was $43,130.

The wealth-gap is even greater than the income-gap. Women on their own had a median net worth of $32,850 compared to $93,001 for all households.

The wealth-gap reflects not only income differences but also differences in the frequency of saving. Thirty-three percent of the women, but 41 percent of all households, said they "save regularly." And 33 percent of the women, but only 24 percent of all households, said they "don't save."

Never married, divorced, or separated women are particularly vulnerable financially. The never married reported that less than half (47%) had a savings account or money market deposit account, and those who did typically held only $1,100 in these accounts. Yet, these women reported a typical level of savings needed for emergencies and other unexpected events of $2,000.

Divorced or separated women also reported that only half (50%) had a savings account or MMDA, and those who did typically held $1,600 in these accounts. Yet, these women also reported a typical need for emergency funds of $2,500.

"This emergency savings gap makes one vulnerable not just to unexpected expenses but especially to loss of income in an economic downturn," noted CFA's Brobeck.

According to the Fed data, 31 million households are headed by women on their own – 9 million by the never married, 12 million by the divorced or separated, and 9 million by the widowed. (All figures rounded off to the nearest million.) The never married tend to be young, with over half being under 35 years of age. The divorced or separated tend to be middle-aged, with over half being between 35 and 55 years of age. And the widowed tend to be old, with well over two-thirds being at least 65 years of age.

CFA is a nonprofit association of some 300 consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.

Gainesville Times: Census report reveals much about how we live

2008-12-09T15:49:00Z

A survey released today by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that 27 percent of Hall County residents older than 25 don’t have a high school education and one in three households headed by a single mother with children younger than 5 is living below the poverty level.

In addition, two Northeast Georgia counties are among the fastest-growing in the country.

The bureau’s American Community Survey of midsize counties with a population of 20,000 or more replaces the long form in the decennial census, which is conducted in years ending in zero. It is designed not just to reveal the number of people, but also give an indication of how we live.

Click here to read the entire article.

Page S. Gardner: Progressives' top priority must be unmarried women

2008-11-24T17:43:00Z

More than two weeks after a historic election, political analysts still are sifting through the results, trying to figure out how different segments of society voted, why they cast their ballots as they did, and what their political preferences and patterns of participation mean for the future.

By Page S. Gardner

Read the original article at The Capital Times.

But three lessons are inescapably clear: The electorate that changed America reflects a changing America -- younger, more racially and ethnically diverse, and less likely to be married. The largest demographic group within this new American electorate -- unmarried women -- played a pivotal role in electing Barack Obama as president, building a bigger margin for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and delivering the largest Democratic margins in national politics since 1964. And, for progressives from the White House to both houses of Congress, there is no more urgent challenge than addressing the needs of unmarried women -- especially for economic security -- and ensuring that they continue to participate in the political process.

While they usually tend to register and vote less than married people, unmarried women increased their participation this year. Indeed, 20 percent of unmarried women voters cast ballots in their first presidential election this year, compared to 11 percent of all voters. Similarly, unmarried women were more likely than other voters to have recently registered to vote, with 41 percent of these women having registered during the last four years.

In addition to voting in numbers reflecting their presence in the population -- 53 million in all and 26 percent of voting-age adults -- unmarried women delivered decisive margins for Obama for president and Democratic candidates for the U.S. House, Senate and public offices at almost every level of government. These women favored Obama over John McCain by a stunning 70-to-29 percent margin. In a dramatic indication of how heavily unmarried women supported progressive candidates, Obama's overwhelming 70 percent share of unmarried women's votes was even greater than his 66 percent showing among young voters and his 67 percent of Latino voters.

Unmarried women's crucial role in electing Obama is underscored by the "marriage gap" between their political preferences and those of married women. While unmarried women supported Obama by 41 percentage points, married women favored McCain by 50-to-47 percent for a marriage gap of 44 points.

Even more remarkably, in spite of the fact that they overwhelmingly believe that the nation has been "on the wrong track," unmarried women cast their votes in a spirit of hope and purpose, not anger and despair. Seventy-five percent of unmarried women agreed that "this election made me believe average people can help change the country." For these women, change means addressing the most important challenge in their lives -- pervasive economic insecurity.

In many ways, these single, separated, divorced and widowed women really are "women on their own." In an unstable economy, more than 40 percent have household incomes of $30,000 or less. In a discriminatory workplace, these women earn 56 cents for every dollar that a married man makes. In the midst of the health care crisis, these women are less likely than married people to have health coverage. In a society where it's difficult to balance work and family, more than 10 million are single moms with children at home. And, when they are too old to work, about 25 percent rely on Social Security as their only source of income.

Now, these women are on their own in a housing crisis, a financial crisis, and a deepening recession. They are more vulnerable than married people to foreclosures, layoffs and bankruptcies.

For President-elect Obama and the newly strengthened majorities in the House and Senate, the message of their mandate from unmarried women is clear: Address the issues of creating good-paying jobs, providing equal pay, expanding health care coverage, and securing retirement income that motivated these "women on their own" to register and vote in record numbers. For progressives generally, the lesson is even more emphatic: Our top priority must be to keep these women involved in the political process so that a changing electorate can continue to change America.

Page S. Gardner is president of Women's Voices, Women Vote, a national nonpartisan organization that seeks to increase unmarried women's participation in the political process. This column was distributed by the American Forum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization.

The Lasting Lesson from Election '08: Deliver on the Hopes for Change That Led Unmarried Women to the Polls

2008-11-12T17:35:00Z

More than a week after a historic election, political analysts still are sifting through the results, trying to figure out how different segments of society voted, why they cast their ballots as they did, and what their political preferences and patterns of participation mean for the future.

By Page Gardner

Read the original article at The Huffington Post.

But three lessons are inescapably clear: The electorate that changed America reflects a changing America -- younger, more racially and ethnically diverse, and less likely to be married. The largest demographic group within this new American electorate -- unmarried women -- played a pivotal role in electing Barack Obama as President, building a bigger margin for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and delivering the largest Democratic margins in national politics since 1964. And, for progressives from the White House to both houses of Congress, there is no more urgent challenge than addressing the needs of unmarried women -- especially for economic security - and ensuring that they continue to participate in the political process.

While they usually tend to register and vote less heavily than married people, unmarried women increased their participation this year. Indeed, 20 percent of unmarried women voters cast ballots in their first presidential election this year, compared to 11 percent of all voters and only 4 percent among married women. Similarly, unmarried women were more likely than other voters to have recently registered to vote, with 41 percent of these women having registered during the last four years. (Throughout this article, I am citing statistics compiled by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for Women's Voices, Women Vote and Edison/Mitofsky.)

In addition to voting in numbers reflecting their presence in the population -- 53 million in all and 26 percent of voting-age adults -- unmarried women delivered decisive margins for Obama for president and Democratic candidates for the U.S. House, Senate, and public offices at almost every level of government. These women favored Obama over John McCain by a stunning 70-to-29 percent margin, while preferring Democratic candidates for the U.S. House by 63-to-31 percent and for the Senate. In a dramatic indication of how heavily unmarried women supported progressive candidates, Obama's overwhelming 70 percent share of unmarried women's votes was even greater than his 66 percent showing among young voters and his 67 percent of Latino voters.

In many ways, these single, separated, divorced and widowed women really are "women on their own." In an unstable economy, more than 40 percent have household incomes of $30,000 or less. In a discriminatory workplace, these women earn 56 cents for every dollar that a married man makes. In the midst of the healthcare crisis, these women are less likely than married people to have health coverage. In a society where it's difficult to balance work and family, more than 10 million are single moms with children at home. And, when they are too old to work, about 25 percent rely on Social Security as their only source of income.

Now, these women are on their own in a housing crisis, a financial crisis, and a deepening recession. They are more vulnerable than married people to foreclosures, layoffs and bankruptcies.

For President-elect Obama and the newly strengthened majorities in the House and Senate, the message of their mandate from unmarried women is clear: Address the issues of creating good-paying jobs, providing equal pay, expanding healthcare coverage, and securing retirement income that motivated these "women on their own" to register and vote in record numbers. For progressives generally, the lesson is even more emphatic: Our top priority must be to keep these women involved in the political process so that a changing electorate can continue to change America.

Page S. Gardner is president of Women's Voices, Women Vote, a national nonpartisan organization that seeks to increase unmarried women's participation in the political process.

Political Notebook: Unmarried women give support to Martin, Obama

2008-11-09T17:40:00Z

A research group is attributing U.S. senate candidate Jim Martin's strong showing on Tuesday to support from unmarried women.

The survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners and commissioned by Women's Voices. Women Vote, said it was that group that helped Martin get enough votes to force incumbent Saxby Chambliss into a runoff.

By Camie Young

Read the original article at The Gwinnett Daily Post.

A research group is attributing U.S. senate candidate Jim Martin's strong showing on Tuesday to support from unmarried women.

"Georgia prepares for a runoff election because of the support Martin received from unmarried women," said Page Gardner, founder and president of Women's Voices. Women Vote. "For Martin, getting unmarried women out to vote in the runoff election is the key to winning this seat."

The survey found 71 percent of unmarried women supported the Democrat, giving him a 49 point spread with Chambliss. They also supported Barack Obama by 42 points, a release said. That followed a national trend, according to surveys conducted in New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota.

The results also showed that 55 percent of married women supported John McCain for president and Chambliss over Martin by a 7-point spread.

Nationally, the results showed that unmarried women gave Obama a bigger victory margin than those of young voters and Latino voters, favoring him 70 percent to 29 percent, while married women preferred McCain 50 percent to 47 percent.

"Throughout this election season, we've seen unmarried women paying attention to the candidates, and last night we saw them turn out to make their voices heard," Gardner said. "Unmarried women are the fastest-growing large demographic in the country, and during this election, we've seen them register and vote in record numbers."

The biggest issues for women centered on concerns over the economy, pollsters found, with 16 percent citing rising health care costs; 13 percent, the budge deficit; 11 percent, job loss; 10 percent concerned about the availability of family-supporting jobs; 10 percent worried about higher taxes and 10 percent about daily expenses such as food or child care.

Post-Election Poll: Progressive Majority Provides Mandate for Bold Change

2008-11-07T22:33:00Z

WASHINGTON, Nov 07, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/—Voters Seeking Bold Changes in the Economy, Iraq, Energy and Health Care

The 2008 elections saw the consolidation of a progressive majority providing a clear mandate for bold change, according to an extensive post-election poll released today by the Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps. The poll shows that President-elect Obama and the new Democratic majorities in Congress have broad support for bringing the Iraq war to an end, revitalizing the economy and moving on health care and energy.

WASHINGTON, Nov 07, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/—Voters Seeking Bold Changes in the Economy, Iraq, Energy and Health Care

To read the entire article, please click here.

Unmarried women put Obama over the top

2008-11-06T20:39:00Z

"Soccer moms" – suburban married women with young children – have drawn the attention of campaign strategists over the past decade, but an exit poll of voters showed single women were a decisive factor in Barack Obama's historic victory.

All time high of 70% support for Democrat kept McCain from White House

Read the original article at World Net Daily.

"Soccer moms" – suburban married women with young children – have drawn the attention of campaign strategists over the past decade, but an exit poll of voters showed single women were a decisive factor in Barack Obama's historic victory.

"If not for the overwhelming support of unmarried women, John McCain would have won the women's vote and with it, the White House," said the international research firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.

Tuesday night, unmarried women supported the Democratic candidate by a stunning 70 to 29 percent margin, the firm said in a summary of its calculations, based on the Edison/Mitofsky National Election Pool published by CNN.

By contrast, married women supported Obama by a 50 to 47 percent margin.

Obama's backing from unmarried women exceeds the support he generated among both younger voters and Hispanic voters, according to Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.

Similarly, unmarried women supported Democratic House candidates by a 64 to 29 percent margin.

The research firm found a 44-point difference in the voting behavior of married women and unmarried women.

The support for the Democratic candidate by unmarried women was significantly higher Tuesday night than previous presidential elections.

In 2004, 62 percent of unmarried women supported Democrat John Kerry, while 37 percent voted to re-elect President Bush.

In 1992, unmarried women backed Democrat Bill Clinton by a margin of 53 to 31 percent.

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner said the research was commissioned by a "progressive" advocacy group called Women's Voices. Women Vote.

On its website, the women's group said, "Unmarried Americans are the fastest-growing large demographic in the country and a majority of Americans will live with an unmarried head of household. But despite their numbers, unmarried Americans are under-represented in national elections and their voices are not being heard in our democracy. Women's Voices. Women Vote was created to activate unmarried Americans in their government and in our democracy."

The research firm said women last night "joined other groups, such as younger voters and people of color, in creating a new American electorate."

"As progressives now begin thinking about consolidating the gains we saw last night and creating long-term political coalitions," the firm said, "they would do well to pay attention to the critical contribution of unmarried women. They earned it."

Unmarried Women Propel Jim Martin to a Runoff Prove Decisive Political Force in Georgia U.S. Senatorial Race

2008-11-06T15:58:00Z

WASHINGTON, DC – According to an election survey, unmarried Georgia women played a key role in a race that was considered safe for Republicans but has resulted in a runoff between Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss.

In the Presidential election unmarried women in Georgia supported Democrat Jim Martin by 49 points (71% to 22%). They also supported Barack Obama by 42 points.

The Lake Research Partners election survey, commissioned by Women’s Voices. Women Vote, was conducted in Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota. The survey found unmarried women offered critical support for progressive candidates in all of the states. In Georgia married women supported McCain over Obama, and Chambliss over Martin.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6

Unmarried Women Propel Jim Martin to a Runoff Prove Decisive Political Force in Georgia U.S. Senatorial Race

Record Marriage Gap Across the Country and in Georgia

WASHINGTON, DC – According to an election survey, unmarried Georgia women played a key role in a race that was considered safe for Republicans but has resulted in a runoff between Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss.

In the Presidential election unmarried women in Georgia supported Democrat Jim Martin by 49 points (71% to 22%). They also supported Barack Obama by 42 points.

The Lake Research Partners election survey, commissioned by Women’s Voices. Women Vote, was conducted in Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota. The survey found unmarried women offered critical support for progressive candidates in all of the states. In Georgia married women supported McCain over Obama, and Chambliss over Martin.

“Georgia prepares for a runoff election because of the support Martin received from unmarried women,” said Page Gardner, Founder and President of Women’s Voices. Women Vote. “For Martin, getting unmarried women out to vote in the runoff election is the key to winning this seat,” said Gardner.

Married women voters supported Chambliss by 7 points, giving the incumbent 52 percent to 45 percent for Martin. Similarly in the Presidential election, married women supported McCain by 10 points, 55 percent to 45 percent over Obama.

Unmarried women backed Democrat Jim Martin by 71 percent to 22 percent over long-term incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss, and helped bring Barack Obama within striking distance of John McCain (28 percent McCain, 70 percent Obama). In Georgia, unmarried women who voted early supported Obama by 37 points, (60 percent to 23 percent) compared to a 23-point margin on Election Day (58 percent to 35 percent).

Nationally, unmarried women anchored Obama’s victory over McCain, splitting 70 to 29 for the Democratic ticket. Obama’s margin among unmarried women exceeded his margin among both young voters and Latino voters. Meanwhile, married women actually preferred McCain, 47 to 50 – an overwhelming 44 percent marriage gap. All numbers come from calculations based on the CNN National Election Pool conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.

“Throughout this election season, we’ve seen unmarried women paying attention to the candidates, and last night we saw them turn out to make their voices heard,” said Gardner. “Unmarried women are the fastest-growing large demographic in the country, and during this election, we’ve seen them register and vote in record numbers,” said Gardner.

Economic concerns greatly influenced women’s vote in Georgia, including rising health care costs (16 percent), the federal budget deficit and national debt (13 percent), job loss (11 percent), the availability of family-supporting jobs (10 percent), higher taxes (10 percent), and daily expenses like food or child care (10 percent).

Since 2006, Women’s Voices. Women Vote has generated more than 1,100 registration applications in Georgia. Women's Voices. Women Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization created to activate unmarried women to participate in their government and in our democracy.

Unmarried Women Prove Decisive Political Force in North Carolina US Senatorial Race

2008-11-06T15:49:00Z

WASHINGTON, DC – According to an election survey, unmarried women of North Carolina were more likely to support Democrat Kay Hagan over long-time incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole by 30 point margin. In the Presidential election, North Carolina unmarried women were more likely to support Barack Obama by 30 points.

The Lake Research Partners election survey, commissioned by Women’s Voices. Women Vote, was conducted in Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota. The survey found unmarried women offered critical support for progressive candidates in all of the states.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6

Unmarried Women Prove Decisive Political Force in North Carolina U.S. Senatorial Race

Record Marriage Gap Across the Country and in North Carolina – Unmarried Women Key Pillar of Support for Hagan

WASHINGTON, DC – According to an election survey, unmarried women of North Carolina were more likely to support Democrat Kay Hagan over long-time incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole by 30 point margin. In the Presidential election, North Carolina unmarried women were more likely to support Barack Obama by 30 points.

The Lake Research Partners election survey, commissioned by Women’s Voices. Women Vote, was conducted in Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota. The survey found unmarried women offered critical support for progressive candidates in all of the states.

“The overwhelming support of unmarried women in North Carolina delivered stunning victories for both Hagan and Obama,” said Page Gardner, Founder and President of Women’s Voices. Women Vote.

Unmarried women backed Democrat Kay Hagan by 53 percent to 44 percent over incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole, and provided Barack Obama an overwhelming victory over John McCain (68 percent Obama, 32 percent McCain).

Nationally, unmarried women anchored Obama’s victory over McCain last night, splitting 70 to 29 for the Democratic ticket. Obama’s margin among unmarried women exceeded his margin among both young voters and Latino voters. Meanwhile, married women actually preferred McCain, 47 to 50 – an overwhelming 44 percent marriage gap. All numbers come from calculations based on the CNN National Election Pool conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.

“Throughout this election season, we’ve seen unmarried women paying attention to the candidates, and last night we saw them turn out to make their voices heard,” said Gardner. “Unmarried women are the fastest-growing large demographic in the country, and during this election, we’ve seen them register and vote in record numbers,” said Gardner.

The economy was the driving issue agenda impacting the vote of women in North Carolina, with rising health care costs their most pressing concern. Rising health care costs were the most important economic issue determining their votes (19 percent), followed by higher taxes (15 percent), the federal budget deficit and national debt (12 percent), lack of jobs that pay a family-supporting wage (10 percent), a secure retirement (8 percent), daily expenses like food or child care (8 percent), the possibility of losing one’s job (6 percent), and the rising cost of gasoline and fuel (5 percent).

Women's Voices. Women Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization created to activate unmarried women to participate in their government and in our democracy.

At 1.5 million-plus, Iowa voter turnout tops '04

2008-11-05T23:14:00Z

Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, a Democrat who also is state election commissioner, said Wednesday the number of Iowans voting early or traditionally on Election Day topped 1,524,000 — a total that eclipsed the 2004 record of 1,521,966 and likely will go higher when counts of absentee and provisional ballots are finalized.

By Rod Boshart

Read the original article at The Gazette Online.

DES MOINES — From the White House to the Statehouse, Tuesday's election races up and down the ballot brought Iowans to the polls in record numbers.

Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, a Democrat who also is state election commissioner, said Wednesday the number of Iowans voting early or traditionally on Election Day topped 1,524,000 — a total that eclipsed the 2004 record of 1,521,966 and likely will go higher when counts of absentee and provisional ballots are finalized.

"I think it was a great turnout for the election that we had, and it did beat what we had in '04," Mauro said.

Preliminary estimates indicate about 72 percent of the more than 2.1 million Iowans who were registered to vote participated — below the 80.5 percent participation rate in 1992. But Mauro said that figure may change when the general election results are certified by county officials next week.

That more than one-third of the 2008 election participants voted early or absentee helped "take some pressure off the lines" at Iowa polling places, Mauro added. Overall, he said, the voting process, use of some new voting machines and same-day registration generally went well.

"I think democracy is alive and well, and the people sent a statement about how they feel," he said.

Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford said the record number of early and absentee voters made it difficult to get an accurate picture initially of voting trends.

Overall, he said, exit polls didn't point to a strong youth turnout in Iowa, but that could be hidden in the early voting numbers. There were more Republicans who defected to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama than Democrats who voted for GOP rival Sen. John McCain.

McCain scored well with older Iowans, but Goldford said Obama "creamed" McCain among independents en route to mustering 53.8 percent of Iowa ballots and the state's seven electoral votes. According to the unofficial tally released by Mauro's office, Obama polled 819,670 Iowa ballots to 678,466 for McCain, or 44.5 percent.

Nationally, the Student PIRGs New Voters Project estimated young voters this year surged by at least 2.2 million votes over 2004.

A separate group, Women's Voices Women Vote, reported that nationally, 70 percent of unmarried women voters supported Obama, while married women narrowly supported McCain over Obama.

GOP Electoral Strategy: Date Democrats

2008-11-05T23:12:00Z

Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg says unmarried women made the difference for Obama. Back in 1994, when white male voters were said to be responsible for the GOP's takeover of Congress, the media came up with a label for them: "angry white men." Will the media now refer to Greenberg's voting bloc as "bitter unmarried women"?

By John J. Miller

Read the original article at The National Review Online.

Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg says unmarried women made the difference for Obama. Back in 1994, when white male voters were said to be responsible for the GOP's takeover of Congress, the media came up with a label for them: "angry white men." Will the media now refer to Greenberg's voting bloc as "bitter unmarried women"?

Don't bother answering that.

Behind Obama's Victory: Women Open Up a Record Marriage Gap

2008-11-05T23:09:00Z

Young voters and Latinos are being widely credited with helping propel Barack Obama to a commanding victory, but an even greater source of support for the president-elect appears to have come from unmarried women—an important but often overlooked demographic.

By Kent Garber

Read the original article at US News and World Report.

Young voters and Latinos are being widely credited with helping propel Barack Obama to a commanding victory, but an even greater source of support for the president-elect appears to have come from unmarried women—an important but often overlooked demographic.

Unmarried women—a group that includes single, separated, divorced, or widowed women—voted for Obama over Republican opponent John McCain by a whopping 70 to 29 percent in yesterday's election, according to numbers released today by Women's Voices Women Vote, a nonpartisan organization.

Married women, by contrast, preferred McCain by a slim 3 percentage-point margin, 50 to 47 percent.

Unmarried women have historically voted for Democrats—in 2004, for example, 62 percent chose Sen. John Kerry over President Bush—but Obama's performance easily surpasses that of his predecessors.

Overall, 53 percent of the national electorate this year was female, according to exit poll data. Women overall voted 56 to 43 percent for Obama; men voted 49 to 48 percent for him.

Women are Making our Country's Decisions

2008-11-05T23:06:00Z

Just as women make most of their family’s big decisions, buying a car, a house, women also seem to be making the big decisions for the country. Women have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980 and the number of women votes has exceeded the number of men voting in every presidential election since 1964. Yesterday, women, who are more than half of all voters, voted 56% for President-elect Barack Obama.

By Tracy Leaman

Read the original article at NDN.

Just as women make most of their family’s big decisions, buying a car, a house, women also seem to be making the big decisions for the country. Women have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980 and the number of women votes has exceeded the number of men voting in every presidential election since 1964. Yesterday, women, who are more than half of all voters, voted 56% for President-elect Barack Obama. This is a 5% increase from 2004 when 51% of women voted for Sen. John Kerry, but only up 2% from 2000 when Vice President Al Gore took 54% of the womens' vote. The gender gap however, did not change at all from 2004 where there was a 7% gap and is again this year with men splitting their votes just about 50/50 between the candidates.

Unmarried women were really the ones who brought it home for the Democrats, voting 70% for Obama, this exceeding his margin among both young and Latino voters. This was very similar to how they voted in House races as well at 64% for national House candidates. Married women on the other hand preferred McCain 47-50...almost makes a girl want to say single!

President-elect Obama also received overwhelming support from African-American women at 96% and 70% of Latino women, compared to 47% of white women.

If you are a democrat, have you thanked a woman today?

Minorities, single women, young whites back Obama

2008-11-05T23:02:00Z

Barack Obama's formula for victory included a coalition of unmarried women, minorities and young whites and coaxing more votes from them than Democrats did in their 2004 presidential defeat, according to national exit polls of voters.

Exit polls: Obama's base mix of minorities, unmarried women, urban whites and young voters

By Alan Fram

Read the original article at Newsweek.

Barack Obama's formula for victory included a coalition of unmarried women, minorities and young whites and coaxing more votes from them than Democrats did in their 2004 presidential defeat, according to national exit polls of voters.

Obama also relied on one of politics' oldest truisms — it's hard to lose if you outnumber 'em.

In a year that consistently showed his supporters more enthusiastic than those backing Republican John McCain, four in 10 voters were Democrats while a third were from the GOP — the biggest partisan gap in exit polls dating to 1992.

For good measure, Obama won among independents. Exit poll results showed his core supporters also included moderates, liberals, people with postgraduate degrees and those who seldom attend religious services.

Looming above all else, of course, were the lumbering economy and the unpopular President Bush. No matter who they were, people troubled by the economy or unhappy with Bush were likelier to back Obama.

The man who will be the first African-American president got the votes of nearly all blacks and two-thirds of Hispanics. That was an improvement on 2004, when Democrat John Kerry won nine in 10 blacks and just over half of Hispanics.

While 56 percent of women backed Obama, the Democrat did even better among unmarried females. Seven in 10 of them voted for Obama, 8 percentage points better than Kerry.

Obama's performance with single women included winning six in 10 unmarried white women, also surpassing Kerry.

Two-thirds of voters under age 30 voted for Obama, another improvement from four years ago. He won 54 percent of whites under age 30, bettering Kerry by 10 percentage points.

Also backing the Democrat were working women, women with children, voters from union households and people earning under $50,000 a year. Most new voters supported him, and in a reflection of disaffection with Bush, so did about a fifth of those who voted for him in 2004 and a like number of conservatives.

In a cautionary note for the triumphant Obama, the survey showed he made little headway in prying two vote-rich groups from the GOP.

Obama trailed John McCain, the Arizona senator, by 18 percentage points among whites who haven't finished college, a modest improvement from Kerry four years ago. The Illinois senator also lagged McCain by 14 points among suburban whites — virtually duplicating Kerry's 2004 numbers.

Overall, whites preferred McCain over Obama 55 percent to 43 percent, an improvement for Obama on Kerry's 17-percentage-point shortfall. In exit polls dating to 1972, Democrats have never carried a majority of the white vote.

Whites who backed Obama tended to be urban residents, Easterners, Iraq war foes and people without guns.

Besides whites, Republicans and conservatives, McCain's solid voters included those over age 65, white evangelical and born-again Christians, and those who often attend services. He won strong support from Southerners, married people, gun owners, veterans, small-town and rural residents, and supporters of the Iraq war.

The complete results were from exit polling by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and television networks conducted in 300 precincts nationally. The data was based on 17,836 voters, including telephone polling of 2,407 people who voted early, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1 percentage point for the entire sample, larger for subgroups.

Single Women Prove Decisive Political Force

2008-11-05T18:54:00Z

Unmarried women anchored Obama’s victory over McCain last night, splitting 70 to 29 for the Democratic ticket. Obama’s margin among unmarried women exceeded his margin among both young voters and Latino voters. Meanwhile, married women actually preferred McCain, 47 to 50 – an overwhelming 44 percent marriage gap. Unmarried women – women who are single, separated, divorced, or widowed – also gave strong support to Democrats in House races, splitting 64 to 29 nationally for Democratic candidate. All numbers come from calculations based on the CNN national election pool conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.
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Single Women Prove Decisive Political Force:
Vote 70-29 for Obama;
Married Women 47-50 for McCain

Record Marriage Gap Across the Country –
Unmarried Women Key Pillar of Support for Obama

Unmarried Women Back Democrats in the House, 64-29
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Unmarried women anchored Obama’s victory over McCain last night, splitting 70 to 29 for the Democratic ticket. Obama’s margin among unmarried women exceeded his margin among both young voters and Latino voters. Meanwhile, married women actually preferred McCain, 47 to 50 – an overwhelming 44 percent marriage gap. Unmarried women – women who are single, separated, divorced, or widowed – also gave strong support to Democrats in House races, splitting 64 to 29 nationally for Democratic candidate. All numbers come from calculations based on the CNN national election pool conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.

“Unmarried women have changed America, and they are an influential part of the new electorate. This year we can say, unmarried women were heard loud and clear. They voted for change. Now its time for the new Administration and the Congress to listen to these women in public policy debates,” said Page Gardner, President and Founder of Women’s Voices Women Vote. “WVWV has registered and turned out more unmarried women than any other group and provided that community with resources they did not have before,” Gardner stated.

Currently, Obama has a 7.2 million vote margin. With unmarried women, he had a 12-million-plus vote margin. If unmarried women voted like married women, he would have lost by 5 million votes. In 2004, John Kerry won among unmarried women, 62-37, a 7 million vote margin.

Since 2004, Women’s Voices Women Vote has worked to register unmarried women – an historically underrepresented demographic – and has generated over one million voter registration applications to date, including over 900,000 this cycle alone. WVWV has also worked to ensure unmarried women get out and vote through efforts including mailing approximately one million vote-by-mail applications to unmarried women in Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, Montana, and Nevada; calling over one million women asking them to “Promise” to vote; mailing voter information packets to unmarried women in eighteen states; sending same-day registration packets to women in Wisconsin and Iowa; and placing a Public Service Announcement on national talk radio, in which Barbra Streisand urges women, particularly unmarried women, to vote.

Gardner reacted to the increased interest in this election: “Unmarried women, previously silent and underrepresented, will be heard and will be an enormous part of ensuring that there is a new day in America.”

Full poll available at www.wvwv.org. Streisand PSA available at http://www.wvwv.org/media-room/video-public-service-announcements.

Women's Voices Women Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization created to activate unmarried women to participate in their government and in our democracy.

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