Unmarried women can have an enormous influence on American politics, election outcomes and policy debates—when they register, turn out and act on their values.
Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund is a data-driven organization to the core.
Every aspect of our awareness-raising and policy advocacy is based on sound research and solid analysis. From public opinion surveys to controlled experiments, our research helps us measure, evaluate, develop, and refine everything we do, honing all of our efforts to reach out to unmarried women and other key constituencies and encourage them to participate in our democracy.
We also use our research directly in our policy advocacy programs, releasing it to the public to show elected officials and thought leaders that the Rising American Electorate — who already make up the majority of eligible voters — are solidly in support of economic and social progress on issues like equal pay, the minimum wage, paid leave, health care, LGBT equality, and reproductive rights.
This year, our polling found a steep increase in the number of RAE voters who say that this election “matters” to them… so we’ve significantly increased our investment in public opinion research to determine what messages, ideas, and issues resonate most strongly with the RAE. Our research agenda included:
- State battleground surveys in the fall
- Focus groups in early September
- Online dial meter and breakout focus groups for the first presidential debate
- Election-night survey with the RAE both nationally and with state oversamples
This ambitious research agenda has provided us with a better understanding of the underlying dynamics that shape RAE voters’ opinions and actions — which will help us to more effectively motivate voter participation among the RAE from the top of the ticket down in future elections.
We also provide the results of many of our research projects to the wider public, so that partner organizations and allies can take advantage of the knowledge we’ve gained.
We’re proud to work with partners like Democracy Corps, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Lake Research Partners, and our sister organization, The Voter Participation Center, to present some of the most innovative, cutting-edge data available about unmarried women and the Rising American Electorate.
Findings from March and April 2019 Focus Groups
With voters turning out at historic levels in 2018 and people now following politics more closely than at any point in the past, WVWVAF asked Democracy Corps whether progressives should start working to register unregistered and low propensity voters.
The Rising American Electorate–unmarried women, people of color, and millennials–turned out on November 6th in record-breaking numbers. Their motivation to be a check on the President, increasing healthcare issues, and concerns regarding the economy, all worked to propel Democrats to take control of the House.
Democratic Gains In GOP-Held Senate Seat States
Turnout Uncertain For Millennial And Hispanic Women Who Favor Democrats
Our recent telephone survey of 2,000 likely voters across 14 battleground districts shows that mailings to inform voters in a relatively neutral way about where the candidates stand on key issues have the potential both to increase support for Democratic candidates and increase the enthusiasm of Democratic voters.
The Rising American Electorate – unmarried women, people of color, and young people – are frustrated with the economy and health care costs under Donald Trump and, as a result, are more motivated to vote in the midterm elections, according to the latest groundbreaking research from Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund (WVWVAF) and Democracy Corps. Democrats are up five points in the 33 GOP-held Cook competitive House races.
Groundbreaking new research from WVWVAF and Democracy Corps’ Stan Greenberg shows the Rising American Electorate is poised to reverse this trend and deliver their midterm votes as a referendum on the economy, gun safety, and health care.
There’s a new coalition forming of the Rising American Electorate and white working-class women, but Democrats need to start speaking to their values and issues if they hope to capitalize in November, according to a groundbreaking study from WVWVAF and Democracy Corps’ Stan Greenberg.
Our Election Day poll in Virginia shows the Rising American Electorate – unmarried women, people of color, and young people – strongly rejected Donald Trump’s dog-whistle politics and divisive policies, and propelled Democrats to victory.
Despite the unpopularity of Trump and the Republican Congress, Democrats need to address their shortcomings with key segments of the electorate, according to our latest polls and online panels.
The 2018 election may be a big opportunity for Democrats… but only if they reclaim working-class economic issues. Read more about our March 2017 focus groups with women in Virginia and Ohio.
