Unmarrieds influential voters of Youth and Females

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- “ Network exit polls reveal unmarried women continued their historically high participation in the 2008 primaries in today's Maryland and Virginia Democratic primaries, and were a powerful component of the dramatic young (under 30) and female turnout.

In an historic election based on the dramatic increase in total turnout, the significant increase in turnout of under 30 year olds, and the clear majority turnout of all women, unmarried women not only contributed to these three historic points, they were significantly drivers of these powerful trends.

"Just as they have in all of the other elections, unmarried women in Maryland and Virginia are making their voices heard," said Page Gardner, President of Women's Voices Women Vote. "In the 2008 elections, we've not only seen unmarried women participate in high numbers, but also represent a large percentage of the youth vote as well, nearly half so far this year." said Gardner. In sixteen Super Tuesday races, unmarried women were 46 percent of all Democratic voters under 30 years old, and comprised 45 percent of all women voters.

Unmarried women were a considerably larger share of the electorate than the youth vote in both states Maryland voters under 29 years old were 14 percent of the electorate; half that of the proportion of unmarried women voters. In Virginia, unmarried women participated at 150 percent the rate of the 14 percent of voters under the age of 29.

Exit polls in the Virginia and Maryland Republican primaries did not include the marital status question.

"The incredible turnout of women on their own in these early contests is a clear sign that unmarried women are the key group that is participating, and their high rates of voting span age and gender," said Gardner. "Unmarried women are playing a critical role in the 2008 elections, and demanding the attention of the Presidential candidates," said Gardner.

For the first time in history, nationally there are as many unmarried women -- single, separated, divorced, widowed -- as there are married women. There are 53 million unmarried women in the country, and they are 26 percent of eligible voters. However, compared to their married sisters, unmarried women historically are 9 percentage points less likely to register, and 13 percentage points less likely to vote. Marital status has been one of the top four determinants of whether an individual will vote.

"Ninety percent of unmarried women agreed they must speak up and make their presence felt in the national conversation, if they are not satisfied with the direction our country is headed in" said Gardner, referencing WVWV's latest research. "Our research tells us that unmarried women are proud that they're making it on their own, and feel it's time for the decision-makers in Washington to understand the societal contributions of single women, and create public policies reflective of their every-day life," said Gardner.

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. With a goal of registering over 1 million unmarried women to vote, WVWV is currently conducting an aggressive mail registration program, and sponsoring the "20 Million Reasons to Vote" Public Service Announcements. The PSAs feature stars such as Julia Louis Dreyfus, Jurnee Smollett, and Christine Lahti and are set in the Oval Office, evoking the importance of having women's voices heard and their power felt in electing candidates to every office. The PSAs are visible at wvwv.org.