Unmarried Women: The Key to Unlocking the New American Electorate
An astonishing number of single women aren’t yet registered to vote. If we help even a small percentage more of unmarried women register and vote, we’d likely see different results up and down the ballot in key 2016 states.
(Click on a state name in the table to view our demographic profile of unmarried women for that state.)
| State | Unmarried Women | % of Vote-Eligible Population | Registered to Vote | Not Registered to Vote |
| Colorado | 830,224 | 22% | 546,725 (66%) | 283,499 (34%) |
| Florida | 3,637,949 | 26% | 2,184,986 (60%) | 1,452,963 (40%) |
| Iowa | 524,096 | 23% | 325,929 (62%) | 198,167 (38%) |
| Missouri | 1,010,097 | 23% | 665,390 (66%) | 344,707 (34%) |
| Nevada | 482,278 | 26% | 266,875 (55%) | 215,404 (45%) |
| New Hampshire | 239,332 | 24% | 146,705 (61%) | 92,627 (39%) |
| North Carolina | 1,803,826 | 26% | 1,147,794 (64%) | 656,032 (36%) |
| Ohio | 2,171,933 | 26% | 1,341,439 (62%) | 830,495 (38%) |
| Pennsylvania | 2,296,628 | 24% | 1,404,064 (61%) | 892,563 (39%) |
| Virginia | 1,399,995 | 24% | 831,891 (59%) | 568,104 (41%) |
| Wisconsin | 1,007,304 | 24% | 637,094 (63%) | 370,210 (37%) |
Data Source: Current Population Survey: Voting and Registration Supplement, 2014. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
IWPR/MomsRising Report: New overtime pay rules help single mothers, African-American and Hispanic women most
A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) and MomsRising.org finds that of women workers who aren’t eligible for overtime pay under the current rules, nearly half of single mothers (44 percent), African-American women (46 percent) and Hispanic women (48 percent) will gain a chance to earn overtime pay with the new overtime salary threshold rules proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Click here to read the report on IWPR’s website.
Best Opportunities to Expand the 2016 Electorate
In 2016, the members of the Rising American Electorate (RAE)—unmarried women, people of color and Millennials aged 18-35—will make up at least 56 percent of the U.S. population eligible to vote. But right now, more than four in ten (42 percent) of the RAE are not registered to vote. The largest RAE subgroups that are least likely to be registered are Millennials, Hispanics and unmarried women. The greatest opportunity to expand the electorate so it reflects the changes in our population is through registration.
2014 Census Data: The Registration and Voting Gap
Need more evidence for the need to engage the Rising American Electorate in midterm elections? Look no further than the 2014 U.S. Census data, which was released earlier this month. The numbers from the Census Bureau reinforce what other researchers found in the wake of the 2014 midterm elections—that while the Rising American Electorate had a sizeable majority of voting-eligible citizens, they cast a minority of the votes.
The registration and voting rates for married and unmarried women tell the same story as the RAE as a whole:
Among both unmarried women and the larger Rising American Electorate, the number of voters registered decreased substantially between 2012 and 2014. Those results are true despite increasing populations—perhaps in part because members of the Rising American Electorate tend to relocate more often than the general public as a whole, meaning they have to re-register at their new addresses.
That’s why the Voter Participation Center works year-round to register the Rising American Electorate—particularly focusing on people who are moving, young people approaching their 18th birthday, and other voting-eligible but unregistered Americans. Learn more about the work we’re doing.
If you agree with us that our mission to register, activate, and protect the voting rights for the Rising American Electorate is crucial in 2016 and beyond, we hope you’ll consider donating to help us fulfill that mission.
Statistical Profile of Unmarried Women: Indiana
Our research team has compiled available data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources to put together this statistical profile of the demographic and economic circumstances facing unmarried women in the state of Indiana.
Report updated August 2016
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Statistical Profile of Unmarried Women: Wisconsin
Our research team has compiled available data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources to put together this statistical profile of the demographic and economic circumstances facing unmarried women in the state of Wisconsin.
Report updated August 2016
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Statistical Profile of Unmarried Women: Virginia
Our research team has compiled available data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources to put together this statistical profile of the demographic and economic circumstances facing unmarried women in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Report updated May 2017
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Statistical Profile of Unmarried Women: Texas
Our research team has compiled available data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources to put together this statistical profile of the demographic and economic circumstances facing unmarried women in the state of Texas.
Report updated January 2016
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Statistical Profile of Unmarried Women: Pennsylvania
Our research team has compiled available data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources to put together this statistical profile of the demographic and economic circumstances facing unmarried women in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Report updated May 2017
Downloads
Statistical Profile of Unmarried Women: Ohio
Our research team has compiled available data from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources to put together this statistical profile of the demographic and economic circumstances facing unmarried women in the state of Ohio.
Report updated August 2016
