More than two weeks after a historic election, political analysts still are sifting through the results, trying to figure out how different segments of society voted, why they cast their ballots as they did, and what their political preferences and patterns of participation mean for the future.

More than a week after a historic election, political analysts still are sifting through the results, trying to figure out how different segments of society voted, why they cast their ballots as they did, and what their political preferences and patterns of participation mean for the future.

A research group is attributing U.S. senate candidate Jim Martin's strong showing on Tuesday to support from unmarried women.

The survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners and commissioned by Women's Voices. Women Vote, said it was that group that helped Martin get enough votes to force incumbent Saxby Chambliss into a runoff.

WASHINGTON, Nov 07, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/—Voters Seeking Bold Changes in the Economy, Iraq, Energy and Health Care

The 2008 elections saw the consolidation of a progressive majority providing a clear mandate for bold change, according to an extensive post-election poll released today by the Campaign for America’s Future and Democracy Corps. The poll shows that President-elect Obama and the new Democratic majorities in Congress have broad support for bringing the Iraq war to an end, revitalizing the economy and moving on health care and energy.

"Soccer moms" – suburban married women with young children – have drawn the attention of campaign strategists over the past decade, but an exit poll of voters showed single women were a decisive factor in Barack Obama's historic victory.

WASHINGTON, DC – According to an election survey, unmarried Georgia women played a key role in a race that was considered safe for Republicans but has resulted in a runoff between Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss.

In the Presidential election unmarried women in Georgia supported Democrat Jim Martin by 49 points (71% to 22%). They also supported Barack Obama by 42 points.

The Lake Research Partners election survey, commissioned by Women’s Voices. Women Vote, was conducted in Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota. The survey found unmarried women offered critical support for progressive candidates in all of the states. In Georgia married women supported McCain over Obama, and Chambliss over Martin.

WASHINGTON, DC – According to an election survey, unmarried women of North Carolina were more likely to support Democrat Kay Hagan over long-time incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole by 30 point margin. In the Presidential election, North Carolina unmarried women were more likely to support Barack Obama by 30 points.

The Lake Research Partners election survey, commissioned by Women’s Voices. Women Vote, was conducted in Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Minnesota. The survey found unmarried women offered critical support for progressive candidates in all of the states.

Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, a Democrat who also is state election commissioner, said Wednesday the number of Iowans voting early or traditionally on Election Day topped 1,524,000 — a total that eclipsed the 2004 record of 1,521,966 and likely will go higher when counts of absentee and provisional ballots are finalized.

Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg says unmarried women made the difference for Obama. Back in 1994, when white male voters were said to be responsible for the GOP's takeover of Congress, the media came up with a label for them: "angry white men." Will the media now refer to Greenberg's voting bloc as "bitter unmarried women"?

Young voters and Latinos are being widely credited with helping propel Barack Obama to a commanding victory, but an even greater source of support for the president-elect appears to have come from unmarried women—an important but often overlooked demographic.

Just as women make most of their family’s big decisions, buying a car, a house, women also seem to be making the big decisions for the country. Women have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980 and the number of women votes has exceeded the number of men voting in every presidential election since 1964. Yesterday, women, who are more than half of all voters, voted 56% for President-elect Barack Obama.

Barack Obama's formula for victory included a coalition of unmarried women, minorities and young whites and coaxing more votes from them than Democrats did in their 2004 presidential defeat, according to national exit polls of voters.

Unmarried women anchored Obama’s victory over McCain last night, splitting 70 to 29 for the Democratic ticket. Obama’s margin among unmarried women exceeded his margin among both young voters and Latino voters. Meanwhile, married women actually preferred McCain, 47 to 50 – an overwhelming 44 percent marriage gap. Unmarried women – women who are single, separated, divorced, or widowed – also gave strong support to Democrats in House races, splitting 64 to 29 nationally for Democratic candidate. All numbers come from calculations based on the CNN national election pool conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.

The margin was narrow but telling in hard-fought Ohio, where 54 percent of women chose Obama, compared with 53 percent in 2004, when President Bush won a narrow victory in the state over Sen. John Kerry.

It's Election Day and all eyes are trained on the eight battleground states - Colorado, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Virginia and North Carolina. With the exception of Missouri and North Carolina, Mr. Obama is leading in all of the states, but the gap is closing. Mr. Obama needs only to win one of the battleground states to win the presidency. If Mr. Obama can hold all of the states John Kerry won in 2004 and win one state President Bush carried, he will take the White House.

With so much excitement focused on the presidential election, there is some concern that voters will neglect to pull the lever for the other candidates running for office. Hopefully not, as more women have entered into the political fray, successfully gotten into the pipeline, and may now be poised for victory.

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 Tuesday, and not forget about the cohort which numbers over a quarter of the electorate: single women.