Pre-election polling revealed that 54 percent of women voters favored Harris versus 42 percent who did not.[1] In a neck-and-neck race, 54 percent of half the total voters might not be enough to get the job done. This was particularly true in a contest in which men favored Trump over Harris.
Late in the race, Kamala Harris sought to “galvanize women voters” by emphasizing the abortion issue. Trump had said that he would veto a law creating a national ban on abortion, something many people in the “Right to Life” movement desired. Democrats sought to cast doubt on this pledge, arguing that a President Trump could have the FDA ban the abortifacient mifepristone or have the Justice Department ban its shipment through the mails under the Comstock Act. Beyond those steps, they argued, a Trump administration could end any federal money used to support contraception and could attempt to create or expand “conscience” exemptions for medical service providers. Harris’s surrogate Michelle Obama urged men to defend the interests of the women in their lives.
On Election Day, seven states passed ballot referendums that increased protections for women.[2] The list would have been longer if Florida didn’t require a 60 percent super-majority for amendments to the state constitution. In Florida a clear majority of 57 percent of voters endorsed replacing the current 6 weeks time limit with a “fetal viability” limit. The “fetal viability standard” of about 24 weeks seems to be the new goal, trashing “Right to Life” absolute bans and 15 weeks limits. In two states (South Dakota and Nebraska), voters rejected proposed abortion projections.
Her effort to link support for abortion to her own candidacy seems to have done Harris some good, but not enough good, come Election Day. Exit polling estimates suggested that Harris had won 53 percent of the women’s vote versus 45 percent for Trump.[3] Moreover, the women’s vote constituted 53 percent of all votes versus 47 percent by men. So, 53 percent of 53 percent equals 28.09 percent of the total. Exit polls suggested that Harris won 61 percent of women aged 18-29, and 59 percent of unmarried women.[4] She won an average of 52 percent of women 30 years and older and 48 percent of married women. In other measures, Harris won 45 percent of White women, 60 percent of Hispanic women, and 91 percent of Black women. Among white suburban women, Harris pulled 46 percent to Trump’s 53 percent. Gender solidarity did not prevail among women any more than it did among men.
When asked what issues mattered most, Abortion ranked first for 14 percent of voters. Of these voters, 74 percent went for Harris and 25 percent for Trump. Democracy ranked first for 34 percent of voters, the Economy ranked first for 32 percent of voters, and Immigration ranked first for 11 percent of voters.
Some polling had suggested that women could favor both abortion rights and Republican candidates. Women voters could split their tickets in the referendum states or de-prioritize abortion elsewhere. As one writer put it, “there is more to me than my uterus.”
[1] “Abortion: A winning issue for Harris?” The Week, 8 November 2024, p. 16.
[2] “Abortion: Pro-choice victories in seven states,” The Week, 15 November 2024, p. 14.
[3] 2024 United States presidential election – Wikipedia
[4] Apparently the pollsters did not ask about cat ownership.
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