To all singles: Get out and vote

Life is so unlike the movie “You’ve Got Mail,” isn’t it?

No, I’m not talking about the fact that Meg Ryan’s character meets the smart, attractive, secure man of her dreams in her first attempt at Internet dating.

I’m talking about the scene in which Meg admits she didn’t vote in a presidential election because she was having a manicure. Kind of a silly reason not to do one’s civic duty.

I doubt that’s why, according to statistics from the nonpartisan Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote project, which aims to get more young, single women to the polls this November, 22 million unmarried women didn’t vote in the 2000 election.

I’ve always thought it was fun to vote. I couldn’t wait to vote, in fact. I remember that tingle of pride when voting in a June local election because I turned 18 in May, a few months before the 1992 presidential election.

This year – oh, there’s an election going on? You mean John McCain didn’t call me personally just to chat? – there’s a big focus on single women. You know if Jennifer Aniston ends up in a TV spot about unmarried women who don’t vote, it must be a hot topic, right?

As it turns out, it’s not just single women. Unmarried people of voting age (that’s what the U.S. Census and other research groups call us) vote in much lower numbers than their married counterparts.

University of Maine political science professor Mark Brewer, who specializes in voting patterns (although his specific research keys more towards religion than other societal factors) ran some numbers from the University of Michigan’s National Election Studies project earlier this week.

He found that in 2000, when 67 percent of single women voted, 65 percent of single men voted.

Back at the Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote Web site (they get their numbers from Census data and a 12-state survey conducted by Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research), 16 million unmarried women were not registered to vote in 2000, which makes up the largest group of unregistered and nonvoting citizens in the United States.

OK, it’s agreed. Single people don’t vote as often as married people. The best argument for that, according to Brewer? Single people are less likely to have the responsibilities and ties to the community that would drive them to vote.

“For example, if you’re single and never married, the chances are likely – not 100 percent but likely – that you don’t have any children,” Brewer said. “You’re much more likely not to own a home. You’re much more likely to have a less lengthy stay in your community. All of those factors affect turnout.”

Brewer also differentiates between single, never-marrieds and single, previously marrieds. It makes sense – previously married singles have had an opportunity to have children or own a home. These are generalizations, but I think they make sense.

In any event, I doubt it has anything to do with having one’s nails done.

For single parents it’s probably more like: How do you fit in an out-of-the-way trip to a polling station when you have to work a full-time job, shuttle kids from school or day care to afternoon activities, fix dinner and get everyone to sleep?

Still, if you feel strongly enough about an issue, you should be motivated to vote, right? And maybe that’s where the candidates falter.

According to the Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote survey results, 40 percent of unmarried women want to hear less about the war on terrorism, while 61 percent want to hear more about affordable health care, 73 percent are interested in equal pay for men and women and 75 percent want the presidential candidates to talk more about a higher minimum wage.

Other topics of interest include retirement security and educational opportunities.

Brewer said it seems as if the Kerry campaign feels it has struck a chord with young male voters. The Democrat has mentioned the possibility of a military draft if George Bush is voted back into office and the war in Iraq continues. Now, I don’t think Bush has ever said anything about a draft. But Brewer said you know if a candidate keeps mentioning something in his speeches, the candidate and his aides think the threat of a draft must get the attention of young men – the campaign probably has the poll numbers to back it up.

This single woman (I mean unmarried person of voting age) plans to vote no matter what issues the candidates seem to focus on. There’s no better way to get involved.

And politics got even more interesting for me the other day when a date gave me a high-five when I told him who I plan to vote for. So that might get me out to the polls even faster.

I admit, that’s a silly reason to do one’s civic duty. How very Meg of me.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at jbloch@bangordailynews.net. 0