Washington, D.C. – With unmarried Americans bearing a disproportionate share of the nation’s economic hard times, Women’s Voices. Women Vote (WVWV) today released a report titled, “The Economics of Unmarried America” aimed at drawing a clear and nonpartisan picture of the lives of unmarried Americans. The report’s findings were compiled by Lake Research Partners of Washington, D.C.

In 2008’s Presidential election 133 million Americans cast ballots, which represents the largest number of voters to ever participate in a U.S. election. This result is certainly a great accomplishment; however, WVWV strongly believes that it is time for significant reform to ensure that the remaining 79 million Americans who were eligible, but did not cast their votes, are encouraged and able to do so in future elections.

WVWV has drawn on the substantial research efforts of leading reform groups, but takes a new look at the challenges facing voters, registration groups, and state and local officials by highlighting the disproportionate effect of existing laws on under-represented populations. While young voters, African Americans, Latinos, and unmarried women are now the majority of the population, exit polls from the 2008 general election show that in the aggregate, these groups represented only 46 percent of the 2008 electorate.

For Many, Tremendous Obstacles Remain in Accessing Democracy Comprehensive report released today by Women’s Voices. Women Vote outlines critical areas in need of election reform.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/04/womens_voices_women_vote_repor.html

Washington, D.C.– Seeking to focus the attention of lawmakers and election reform groups on the obstacles to full participation of the American electorate and the path to election reform, Women’s Voices. Women Vote (WVWV) today released a comprehensive report titled, “Access to Democracy: Identifying Obstacles Hindering the Right to Vote.” Consolidating a variety of studies from expert sources into one document, the findings confirm the most significant obstacles to voter participation and outline those election reforms which would yield the most positive results.

As a woman and a Virginian, I was proud to help so many women get registered to vote for the 2008 elections. Women’s Voices. Women Vote, the organization which I founded, registered over 40,000 women in the state of Virginia in the months leading up to the November elections.

These women made the effort to get registered because they believed that change was possible. Then these same women came out in November and voted for change and for hope. Now, we must hold our elected leaders accountable for bringing about that change that we voters have demanded. President Obama’s fiscal year 2010 budget is an important next step in bringing about that change.