Will Single Women Vote This Time?

In 2000, 537 Florida votes changed history, and we've suffered mightily since. That's why it's crucial to get out every vote possible next Tuesday, and not forget about the cohort which numbers over a quarter of the electorate: single women.

Before the Pennsylvania primary CNN commented, "...it is the unmarried, young women voters, who are really key ... unmarried women will be to progressives what the evangelicals were to conservatives and ...[they] will determine the future of this country."

Yet single women of all ages, the fastest growing group of eligible voters (53 million), have been the least likely to vote of any group, including African-Americans or Hispanics: twenty million of them didn't vote in the 2004 presidential election. Not surprisingly, those who did, voted overwhelmingly for Kerry.

Compared to marrieds, fewer single women have health insurance or own homes or cars. Almost half have household incomes of $30,000 a year or less, often working long hours for less pay than men. With one paycheck they're often more at risk if they have credit cut. They are frightened of losing their home, or getting laid off from work, and there's often little to fall back on. Over ten million unmarried women are single moms, with kids at home and special worries about health care and retirement.

In this volatile economy, single women suffer, and Hillary has done her best to encourage them to vote. But will they fight the crowds this time? Because unmarrieds skew younger, they historically vote in low numbers. Many single women mean to vote but just don't get around to it, and mundane realities thwart them: no one to prompt them when they're tired and have to shop and cook, or they can't find a babysitter so they are able to spend four hours standing in long lines at the polls.

Solos, if you haven't yet, please be sure to go out of your way to vote. And please contact your single friends and offer them support so they can vote, too. Maybe rotate child care with a group, or carpool to the polls and then have an election party together. Employers, offer single workers time off from work to vote (Obama suggests the day!) Fellow workers, offer to take over their responsibilities while your single co-workers go to the polls.

Right now, whether you're a friend, acquaintance, work buddy or family member, call the single women in your life. Drive them, stand with them, babysit their children. Do whatever it takes to make sure that they join the throngs of voters on Tuesday.

Lea Lane is founder/editor of sololady.com

Comments

[lisakaz2]

I did. I always vote. I'm incensed that some GOP yahoo could talk about taking away voting rights from those who don't own property. Talk about being an elitist! Supposedly I'm "less" suitable. Imagine if I asked for an IQ qualification, 'cause I doubt he'd make it...

[adl]

This single woman will be voting and I employ two single women and my business will be closed all day election day and I told them that they can't work for me and not vote (just kidding, but I'm reminding them every day to vote).

[sappho99336]

I am a single woman, and I cast my first absentee ballot 20 years ago for Dukakis. I never miss an election. This year I already voted for Obama. I am a lot more privileged than many other single women in that I am highly educated and have a good job with benefits. Still, I work in education, and to me, working in education and not voting at all or voting for a Republican is like burning your paycheck or cutting off your arm. There's no way it can benefit you. I think many women think they don't know enough to vote. It's a self confidence issue, and maybe a time issue because they think they don't have time to learn. I encouraged many of the classroom aides in the teachers' lounge to register to vote and reassured them that there was plenty of time to research the candidates and issues. I told them that we always get a voter's information pamphlet and since most of Washington state votes by mail, we get the ballot ahead of time and can read the pamphlet or research online if the pamphlet or newspaper doesn't give enough info.

[XME]

I must admit. I am a 38-year-old single female who's never voted before.

However, I registered before our primary (Virginia), voted in it, and will stand in line all day Tuesday, if I have to, to cast my vote!

[lisakaz2]

All right! Welcome aboard.

[ScreenName05]

Single women, especially single mothers, are the most abused class of citizens in the U.S. Yet they don't vote. Any plaintiff side employment attorney can tell you hundreds of stories about waitresses, secretaries, cashiers, etc. who have been forced into abusive relationships, including forced sex, just to keep their jobs so their kids can eat this week. This group has been openly spurned by the Republicans who have fought against minimum wage increases at both the federal and state level. I can remember an argument by a Nevada female Republican legislator against an increase in the minimum wage in Nevada in the 2004 election stating that minimum wage just affects teenagers, real workers always make more than minimum wage. The reality is that single working mothers under the age of 35 make up the largest group of Americans making minimum wage or less.

For yourself, for your kids, get out there and vote!

[carrieanna]

I don't understand why these women don't vote. Even in college, I made the effort to vote absentee because I knew I didn't want to fool with driving 200 miles home on a school day to vote. I've still never voted for a winning candidate and I still persist!