Marriage Gap, One More Time
01/01/2013
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From a Democratic group working to get more single women to show up to vote, Voter Participation Center, on the 2012 election:

As more data is available from the exit polling, the extent of the marriage gap–the differences in candidate choice between married and unmarried women–becomes more obvious and undeniable. And as this chart makes clear: the marriage gap transcends all racial, age, income, education and other distinctions. Young or old, rich or poor, white, black or Hispanic, unmarried women voted overwhelmingly in 2012 to reelect President Obama.

2012 Voter Returns: Obama vs. Romney

 

Married Women

Obama – Romney

Unmarried Women

Obama – Romney

Marriage Gap

National

46 – 53

67 – 31

43

Battleground States

46 – 53

65 – 33

39

White women

37 – 62

52 – 46

31

Women of color

78 – 22

91 – 7

28

Latina

67 – 32

85 – 12

38

African-American

95 – 5

97 – 2

5

College-educated

49 – 49

67 – 31

36

Non-college

41 – 58

68 – 31

54

Under 50

47 – 51

71 – 26

49

Under 30

53 – 45

71 – 26

37

Under 30 and white

34 – 63

54 – 43

40

50 and over

38 – 61

51 – 48

26

Seniors

42 – 58

56 – 43

29

$50,000 and over

45 – 54

62 – 36

35

With kids

48 – 51

74 – 24

53

Without kids

43 – 55

64 – 34

42

Union Households

54 – 43

82 – 16

55

Non-Union Households

43 – 55

67 – 30

49


I don't like how the righthand "Marriage Gap" column is double-counted, although that seems to be the standard way that gaps get talked about. People like double-counting because it makes whatever gap you are worked up over seem too huge to grasp mentally–e.g., the Race Gap in Texas was something like 150 points!

But even if you divide the Marriage Gap figures by two, the way I like, they're still a big deal.

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