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Every year this nation's priorities move further and further away from the
concerns of the majority of American citizens, making daily life harder and
harder. The prices we pay for housing, utilities, medications,
transportation and food are all going up. Meanwhile, big business interests,
profiting every time we lose, monopolize our policymakers' attention. While
companies boasting record profits are rewarded with tax breaks, ordinary
citizens struggle each day to get basic needs met for themselves and their
families.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all Americans hurt by Washington's lopsided
economic policies banded together to form a voting bloc; and, like the
religious right of elections past, became a force with the power to
determine this election and all elections from this year on? Well, according
to Page Gardener, one of the nation's top strategists and an expert in the
voting patterns of women, a unique voting bloc such as this does exist.
Despite their poor voter turnout in years past, Gardener says that unmarried
women in this country are fed up. They are united, and they are ready to
vote.
In 2004 65% of women voted. Despite this high participation rate, the
turnout was predominantly married women voters. Twenty million unmarried
women stayed home on Election Day. Page Gardener developed Women's Voices.
Women Vote to improve unmarried women's participation in the electorate and
policy process. Last month I interviewed her to learn more about the
campaign. I found out that marriage is one of the top four determinants in
whether women in this country vote. I learned that unmarried women form the
fastest growing large bloc of voters. I was told about the unique economic
circumstances unifying unmarried women. They earn less, have less health
care, and more of their children live in poverty than any other bloc of
Americans. I learned that more than ever they are interested in this
election. They want change and will be turning out to vote. And Women's
Voices. Women Vote is doing everything they can to make sure this happens.
Page Gardener recognizes that 20 million unmarried women not voting -
single, divorced, separated or widowed - means there is an important missing
voice in our democracy.
The striking economic circumstance of unmarried women when compared to their
married counterparts begins with income. While 44% of unmarried women live
in households of incomes of $30,000 or less, 44% of married women live in
households earning $75,000 or more. The majority of households in this
country are now headed by an unmarried person - single Americans caring for
children, elderly parents, and other dependants. They are economically
stretched - one out of five unmarried women in this country has no
healthcare and half of all children six and under who live with unmarried
mothers are living in poverty. As Page Gardener put it, "This is an
indictment." Policy makers are reckless to ignore this economic reality.
When this group mobilizes they will discover that they have to address
unmarried women's concerns if they want to stay in office.
According to Gardener, unmarried women are "sick of the way things are
going, and they want this country to go in a new direction." These women
feel America is not doing enough about problems on the home front, the
problems most significant in their lives. They struggle financially, their
lives are difficult, and they want our leaders to make them a national
priority. The good news, Gardener finds, is that they are making their
voices heard in record numbers at the voting booth. In 2006 they were the
largest "change" voters. As their power becomes more evident, it will be
harder and harder for policy makers to ignore their calls for adequate
housing, healthcare, and other domestic issues affecting them.
While domestic issues are the primary concern of unmarried women voters,
like married women, they are incredibly patriotic and concerned about this
country. They are concerned about family values, security issues and they
mirror the concerns of the total population in many ways. As this population
grows, however, it is their unique economic circumstances that set them
apart and which creates the huge and growing cohort. "We've got this
enormous growing demographic group and they have an agenda on their own,
they are redefining the electorate, and they are redefining how we should
look at America and the public policy agenda of our elected officials,"
Gardener told me.
Women's Voices. Women Vote has found that 91% of the unmarried women voters
they surveyed reported that their frustration with public policy made them
more likely to vote in 2008. They are paying attention and are interested in
record numbers. Polling data reported on their website shows that 64% of
unmarried women voters usually considered unlikely to vote (eligible and
registered, but who missed at least one of the last two presidential
elections) now say they are "absolutely certain" to vote in 2008. Women's
Voices. Women Vote also found 77% of unmarried women voters are expressing a
high level of interest in this election. "Unmarrieds, even those who don't
normally vote, are primed for this election and are open to politicians
willing to engage them on issues important to them."
Last week's caucus in Iowa, according to a January 4 press release, serves
as an indication that unmarried women are in fact utilizing their power.
Unmarried Women Caucus in Record Numbers, reported that unmarried women did
turn out in numbers greater than their overall share of Iowa's population -
a feat only married women used to achieve. "While unmarried women are 22
percent of the eligible voting age population in Iowa, network entrance
polls report that they were 28 percent of participants in the Democratic
caucus:Married women, by contrast, were in line with their proportion of the
overall population, accounting for 29 percent of the eligible population in
Iowa, and accounting for 29% of Democratic caucus attendees." (Statistics
from the Republican contest had not yet been released at the time of this
press release.) According to Gardener, "The 28% of Iowan women on their own
who caucused is the first example of the critical role unmarried women will
play in the national discussion, demanding the attention of the Presidential
candidates."
Women's Voices. Women Vote has made the significant discovery that unmarried
women are "a surging force in American politics." Their power is not only in
their numbers but also in their unified desire for change. In my
conversation with Page Gardner, it came as no surprise to learn that her
organization will have successfully registered over a million unmarried
women during this election cycle. We can all do our part by joining Women's
Voices. Women Vote's online campaign "20 million Reasons" and help register
unmarried women to vote. Page Gardener also pointed out that it is important
for media organizations like The WIP to write about unmarried women in
America. "As these women see their lives reflected in the conversation
around civic participation through articles in the newspaper, through the
media:it is validating and [it] is also motivating. So, the more that we can
reflect their lives and say: 'we know you are out there, we know how
powerful you are,' the better, in terms of getting them to participate." If
unmarried women voted at the same rate as married women, over six million
more voters would have gone to the polls in 2004.
Imagine the democracy. Imagine the power.
Source: http://www.thewip.net/contributors/2008/01/womens_voices_women_vote
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