Click here to learn more about the issues in this election.


Undecided Women Split on Debate

Women’s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund in the swing state of Colorado among 40 undecided women voters, half of whom were married women, half unmarried. Participants answered a series of questions and held a discussion about the election, the candidates, their views on McCain, Obama, Biden and Palin.

Click here to read the full report…

Key Differences Emerge from Focus Groups


To view a summary of the focus groups and an oversample, click here [PDF]

Assessing the Impact of Sarah Palin on the Women’s Vote: Unmarried women have unanswered questions. Read More

To view the frequency questionnaire of the oversample, click here [PDF]

To view a summary of the focus groups and oversample, click here [PDF]



Weekly Gallup Poll

Preference for the General Election


Unmarried Women By The Numbers

It is impossible to understand the women’s vote without examining the impact of marital status and differences in political outcomes between married women and unmarried women, the marriage gap. In November 2008, these women are poised to have an enormous impact in determining our next President, Congress, and more – if they indeed register and vote. Read more.


Engaging Unmarried Women II:

Economy Key to Courting Unmarried Women

The progressive margin in 2008 depends on energizing progressive voters. The biggest of these groups is unmarried women and their biggest issue by far is the economy. However, it is not enough to simply raise the economy as one of the many reasons this country needs change. Progressives need to meet unmarried women where they are in terms of their own economic lives. This message needs to be about directly improving the economic prospects of these voters and addressing the cost of living.

Click here to read the full report…

Engaging Unmarried Women

Key Progressive Group Insufficiently Courted

A recent survey revealed that unmarried women supported progressive candidates by nearly a 2:1 margin in 2004, better than a 2:1 margin in 2006 and continue that trend today. And yet, they do not participate at levels comparable to other groups, leaving millions of unharnessed progressives votes at home on Election Day.

Click here to read the full report…

Understanding the Women’s Vote

Marriage Gap Drives Political Decision-making Among Women

Memo 2

A recent survey of unmarried women in battleground states revealed that the progressive voting patterns we see among women voters are driven in large measure by marital status. Not only do unmarried women deliver huge margins to progressive candidates, but absent their support, progressives would not carry the women’s vote at large. Unfortunately, unmarried women vote in fewer numbers than married women. They are 9 points less likely to register and 13 points less likely to vote. In thinking about the women’s vote as a whole, it is obviously important to compete among married women, but it critical progressives energize and turn out unmarried women.

Click here to read the full report…

Women’s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund



The Women’s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund informs and mobilizes unmarried women to participate in our government and make their voices heard in our democracy. Unmarried women – single, separated, divorced or widowed – make up 26 percent of all voting age Americans. They are 53 million strong, yet they participate and vote less often than their married sisters.

The Action Fund is dedicated to encouraging unmarried women to bring their voices to our nation’s political conversation and to advocate for policies important to them. The Action Fund seeks to empower women on their own with the facts they need to make their own informed choices about ballot measures, candidates and issues.

The Action Fund is a leader in advocating for issues important to unmarried women. Through research driven and results affirmed programs, the Action Fund effectively increases the presence of women on their own at the polls and in our democracy.

Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund is a non partisan tax-exempt organization under section 501©(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

WVWV News
08 Oct 08 | 13:35

Single women have long been a tough group for political hopefuls. They tend to turn out for Democrats, but that’s assuming they turn out at all. Their married counterparts are more apt to show up at the polls, even though single women have graver economic concerns.

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03 Oct 08 | 15:39

Last night in Colorado (one of the key swing states we have our eyes on), the Democratic polling group Greenberg Quinlan Rosner brought together 40 undecided women voters to watch the vice-presidential debate. In pre-interviews before the festivities started, most of the women admitted that they didn't know much about either of the running mates. They'd heard plenty about Sarah Palin in particular, but they didn't know who she was, didn't know what she thought.

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03 Oct 08 | 12:10

In two different Colorado focus groups of married and unmarried women conducted directly after Thursday's vice presidential debate, respondents broadly agreed that Sarah Palin came off better than Joe Biden.

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01 Oct 08 | 17:12

New polling numbers from Gallup show a major rift among women voters –while women overall support Obama by a small margin, unmarried women support Obama by a very large percentage, while among married women, the candidates are effectively tied.

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