Survey: single women don't vote

If you are a single woman, political candidates need you, according to a new survey.\nA new study released by the non-partisan group Women's Voices, Women Vote states close to 22 million unmarried women were eligible to vote in 2000 but did not. The study also pointed out that if unmarried women voted at the same rate as married women, there would have been 6 million more voters in the last presidential election. With so many untapped voters at stake, some would say IU women could make a noticeable impact on the 2004 election if they decide to vote.\nThe challenge for politicians now is to figure out how to get more single women into the voting booths.\nFreshman Kate Denesuk said she was not planning on voting this November. \n"I didn't feel like any of the issues really affected me," she said.\nHowever, she said she recently decided to vote because of President Bush's stance on a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.\n"If he's against it, then I want him out," she said. \nDenesuk believes most single women do not vote because candidates do not address issues that are important to them. \n"The president is a man. Most of the Supreme Court is made up of men -- government is a man's world and doesn't have a lot to do with female issues," she said. "I think a lot of women are concerned about abortion and health care, but I never hear politicians talking about either of these issues."\nEven Denesuk admits she would not vote if gay marriage had not been brought into the political spotlight.\nUnmarried women are more concerned with economic and social issues such as crime and education, according to the survey, and they also tend to be pro-choice and pro-women's rights.\nIU Political Science Professor Michael Ensley said social topics like abortion and health care are the types of issues politicians try to avoid.\n"Socials issues tend to polarize voters," Ensley said. "While a candidate could win more votes from women by talking about abortion, he could turn many other voters away."\nEnsley hesitates in placing too much emphasis on one group of voters because the so-called "it group" can change very quickly.\n"A few years ago, it was 'soccer moms,' and then more recently 'NASCAR dads,'" he said.\nEnsley said he also believes grouping all single women together is a "disservice" to voters.\n"There are many different kinds of single women," he said. "Working mothers have different goals than college students, and their political interests will be based more on that."\nEnsley said politicians should concentrate on getting more people to vote in general.\n"Young voters traditionally have the lowest turnout, and more attention should be paid to getting them into the political arena," he said. \nTo vote or not to vote has never been an issue for sophomore Karolyn Steffens.\n"A democracy can't work if people don't vote," she said. "It's something every citizen owes their country."\nSteffens said she also believes politics is gender-biased but this can be fixed by getting more women involved in the political process.\n"Women don't have a lot of great role models in government, so it's harder for them to get interested in it," she said. "If more women ran for office, more women would vote." \nAlthough Steffens wants politicians to pay more attention to social issues, she will vote no matter what the issues are.\n"I think more women might vote if they (politicians) paid more attention to issues relevant to women, but it's important to vote no matter what," she said. "Women's voices will never be heard if we don't vote."\n-- Contact staff writer Maria Fragnoli at .