Statement of Page Gardner, President, Women’s Voices. Women Vote

For the first time in history, a majority of adult women in this country are unmarried, and almost a fifth of these women are single moms, with children living at home. In many ways, they are 'women on their own,' supporting themselves and often their children on earnings that are only 56 percent of what married men make.

On the vote by the U.S. House of Representatives in favor of the Paycheck Fairness Act

“This vote is a victory for the nation’s women, especially those who are single, separated, widowed or divorced. For the first time in history, a majority of adult women in this country are unmarried, and almost a fifth of these women are single moms, with children living at home. In many ways, they are ‘women on their own,’ supporting themselves and often their children on earnings that are only 56 percent of what married men make.

The voter registration drive, “You Count. Be Counted!,” will begin next week, targeting over approximately 7 million unmarried women in 24 states. The drive is being run by the national organization Women’s Voices Women Vote, which expects to register close to 1 million women nationwide between now and Election Day.

Responding to questions raised over robo-calls and voter registration forms received by North Carolina residents, Page Gardner, President of Women's Voices. Women Vote, issued the following statement:

"Founded in 2004, the non-partisan Women's Voices, Women Vote (WVWV) pioneered the use of direct marketing techniques (direct mail and automatic phone calls) to register voter."

Statement of William McNary, President of USAction, Co-Executive Director Citizen Action/Illinois and Board Member of Women’s Voices, Women Vote

During five election cycles, I have worked with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition where I co-directed targeted voter registration campaigns and ‘get out the vote’ efforts to the African American community. I have also had the great privelege of serving on the Board of Directors of Women’s Voices, Women Vote – a non profit, non partisan organization whose mission is registering underrepresented Americans, primarily, unmarried women.

I am also a voter. And in this election, I am supporting Barack Obama, whom I’ve known and worked with for years. I am also an elected delegate to the Democratic Convention for Barack Obama.

Given my candidate preference and my background and associations in voter registration efforts, I can say with great conviction, there was no effort to suppress or confuse African American voters, or any other voters in the state of North Carolina by Women’s Voices, Women Vote.

I have seen up close the work of Women’s Voices. Women Vote and know well the commitment, passion and leadership our organization has shown in helping make the voices of unmarried women and other underrepresented voters heard. There may have been mistakes made in this particular registration drive in North Carolina, but Women’s Voices, Women Vote’s motives were not malicious or intended in any way to confuse voters. Ironically, just the opposite. I know the staff is making every effort to right the situation.

Read the original column at Huffington Post

Mail Registration Brings More Voices to Vote in November Election

Women's Voices. Women Vote Encourages North Carolina's Unmarried Women to Register to Vote for the General Election

WASHINGTON, DC -- Continuing their campaign to register unmarried women to vote, and encourage this under-represented group to engage in democracy, Women's Voices Women Vote is mailing more than 3 million voter registration applications in 24 states. In North Carolina alone, more than 276,000 citizens will be mailed the voter registration application, allowing them to register for the November general election. The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming primary was April 11.

North Carolinians can complete the application they receive in the mail to conveniently register to vote for the general election on November 4. The application cannot be used to register to vote in the May 6 primary.

"Although North Carolinians cannot use this application to register to vote in the up-coming primary on May 6, residents can complete the form and drop it in their mailbox to register to vote in the general election this November," said Page Gardner, President of Women's Voices. Women Vote.

Women's Voices Women Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing the number of unmarried women participating in our democracy, is mailing voter registration forms to more than 3 million homes in 24 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

"We're in the midst of a sea change in our country, as we're seeing a new America emerge right before our eyes," said Gardner. "For the first time in our country's history, there are as many unmarried women as there are married, yet women on their own are still registering and voting less than their married sisters, leaving their voice absent from our democracy," said Gardner.

Unmarried women - those single, separated, divorced or widowed - are 53 million of the voting-age population. Although they are potentially 26 percent of the electorate, they are 9 percentage points less likely to register and 13 percentage points less likely to vote than married women. In the last presidential election in 2004, 20 million unmarried women were absent from the polls.

According to 2006 U.S. Census data, more than 570,000 unmarried women in North Carolina were not registered and more than 502,000 unmarried women were registered, but did not vote.

"A majority of households in our country are headed by an unmarried person," said Gardner. "Unmarried women are economically stretched, and their time is so valuable since they must provide for themselves and their families on their own. Making it as easy as possible to register to vote will ensure their voices are heard in our democracy."

Residents who are eligible to register for the primary but missed the deadline may still register and vote through the state's One-Stop Absentee Sites. Qualified residents may register and vote at their county designated One-Stop Site from 19 to 3 days before Election Day. More information on North Carolina One-Stop Absentee voting is available on the State Board of Elections website at www.sboe.state.nc.us.

To identify voter registration application recipients, Women's Voices Women Vote uses a sophisticated matching process that compares a consumer data list with the North Carolina file of registered voters. The National Voter Registration Application was created by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent, bipartisan commission created from the Help America Vote Act of 2002, and is accepted in 48 states.

For more information on the voter registration applications, visit www.voterparticipationcenter.org.

Barbra Streisand, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Christine Lahti, Sarah Paulson, Jurnee Smollett, and Amber Tamblyn have collaborated with Women's Voices. Women Vote on an ad urging unmarried women to vote that is being shown before each film screening at the Tribeca Film Festival. Streisand recorded the music for the public service announcement; "regular" women -- from a cop to a magician -- are featured alongside the actresses.

Study Finds Income Disparities Leave Unmarried Women Behind

WASHINGTON, DC -- As Equal Pay Day approaches, a new study from Women's Voices Women Vote finds unmarried women are most vulnerable to pay inequity when compared to unmarried men, married men or married women.

The steadily growing number of unmarried women has catapulted this demographic to a potent force in American economic society. Despite earning considerably less than unmarried men (56 cents for every dollar), single women are incredibly active consumers.

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.

WASHINGTON, DC -- “An unprecedented voter registration drive aimed at the 15 million unmarried women who are not registered to vote will hit mailboxes in 22 states beginning today, as Women's Voices Women Vote launches its largest voter registration drive ever aimed at the nation's largest group of unregistered citizens. In Virginia alone, more than 228,441 citizens will receive voter registration forms in the mail.

As candidates look forward to the 22 states holding primaries and caucuses on February 5, Women’s Voices Women Vote releases a report detailing the strong turnout of unmarried women in the early state contests, as well as identifying their significance as vital swing voters.

On the cusp of the South Carolina Democratic primary, Women’s Voices Women Vote releases new research detailing the impact of unmarried African American women in the 2008 elections.

New Hampshire Primary Indicative of Unmarried Women’s Influence in Elections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Network exit polls reveal unmarried women in New Hampshire accounted for 22 percent of all Democratic primary voters, and proved pivotal to Senator Clinton’s victory, as they were to Senator Obama’s win in Iowa.

In the first contest for the White House, unmarried women of Iowa accounted for 28 percent of all Democratic caucus goers, trumping their overall share of the state's population.