Unmarried People Will Choose the Next President

Political strategists say unmarried people are the key voting block in the 2008 presidential election. The New York Times said that the unmarried majority "could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits." Why? We're big, we're new, and we're consistent.

We're big: There are 92 million unmarried individuals over age 18 in the United States. (Only 12 million are in cohabiting couples - the rest are living a variety of single lifestyles, including widows, divorcees, gays and lesbians, and still-looking for Mr/Mrs Right.) Since 2005, the majority of households have been unmarried. Unmarried people are raising one-third of all children. There are over 53 million unmarried women who are eligible to vote: a bigger potential voting block than seniors, people of color or union members. We're growing fast: for each new married voter there are almost 2.5 new unmarried voters.

We're new: Married people have been voting while unmarried people were sitting out elections. This year, a higher percentage of unmarried people are expected to vote. Between the 2002 and 2006 mid-term elections, the number of unmarried women voters shot up over 13%. There's lots of room for improvement. Historically, among unmarried people, widows and widowers voted the most, followed by the separated and divorced. African-American women who were separated or divorced voted more than white women of the same status. Unmarried women voted more than unmarried men, especially among singles and divorcees. Singles and younger unmarried Americans were the least likely to vote. But in this exciting election year, all that is set to change!

We're consistent: In the 2004 presidential election, it was easier to predict who you voted for based on your marital status than your gender. Unmarried women voters are comparable in size and party loyalty to another political target group: white evangelicals. So increasing unmarried voter turnout could turn underdog candidates into winners, if those candidates address our central concerns.

Health care is our top domestic priority. The Alternatives to Marriage Project has nearly 10,000 members in all 50 states, and over 20% have experienced marital status discrimination in health care. Political researchers found that many of us were unable to pay for necessary health care in the past year (over 14% of unmarried voters and almost 20% of unmarried non-voters, compared to less than 5% of married voters). They also found that unmarried voters strongly support fundamental health care reform to provide universal coverage that can never be taken away.

In contrast to our goals, currently most non-elderly people access health care through their employer or a public subsidy program. Employers decide how to define a family and whether to insure family members. Public programs decide how to define a family and whether your family income qualifies for assistance. Even time off and sick leave decisions are based on how an institution or law defines your family. Each of these decisions leaves out unmarried families and makes single people pay the cost of married people's care.

So far, few presidential candidates have addressed health care reform in a way that meets unmarried people's goals. Dennis Kucinich proposed a single-payer system in which all individuals have equal access to basic health care regardless of their employment or relationship status. The rest of the Democratic candidates propose employer-based insurance plus public programs with income-eligibility tests. The Republican candidates propose either sticking with employers or creating more group and individual insurance plans. None of the candidates propose requiring insurers to cover broadly-defined family members. None of them propose giving more people paid sick leave or expanding when you can take time off to care for someone you love.

So you're part of the prize voting bloc, and the candidates aren't saying what you want to hear. You need to do something about this! There are two simple steps every single single person must take: become a voter, and voice your opinion.

If you are among the 45% of singles who skipped the last presidential election, now is the time to change! 2008 is here: vote in your state primary! Vote on November 4th! Not registered? Do it right now. Register, vote, and bring along everyone you know!

If you want better access to health care, tell the people who are shaping the debate and making the decisions. Email your favorite candidate. Email your local newspaper or TV station. Start the conversation with your employer - government change usually happens after companies demonstrate that it works.

If you want to learn more or get more involved, join the Alternatives to Marriage Project. AtMP believes in equality and fairness for unmarried people, including those who are single, choose not to marry, cannot marry, or live together before marriage. We believe marriage is only one of many acceptable family forms, and society should recognize and support healthy relationships in all their diversity. AtMP provides practical support and information, fights discrimination on the basis of marital status, educates the public and policymakers about relevant social and economic issues. We lobby and accept tax-deductible donations as permitted under our 501(c)(3) status.

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