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1W1V Research

Women's Voting Patterns

Marjorie Scott, YWCA Edmonton
January 12, 2001

Public-Spirited women . . . are not seeking credit for themselves. They are trying to do the job, and when it is done they are content to be >forgotten. . . [Women] are like that naturally - and they have had long training in developing the gift of anonymity. But now it is time to speak.

Florence E. Allen, State Supreme Court Judge, 1947

Research was initiated in response to the following questions as posed by the One Woman One Vote Committee:

(Click on a question to view the response in PDF Format.)

 

  1. Of eligible voters in Edmonton (and/or Alberta, Canada, or other relevant jurisdictions), what percentage vote in provincial (and/or other relevant) elections?
  2. Of the eligible female voters who don't vote, what are the reasons they don't vote?
  3. What are examples of other initiatives to encourage female voters to vote (or become involved in the electoral process in some way)?

  4. Are there differences between female and male voters in how they make their decision on who to vote for?

Methods used

The primary research mode used was the Internet. This was supplemented by telephone calls and literature-based research. Given the time period contracted for this project (Christmas - New Year's), the Internet was the most readily available source of information. While a greater amount of literature-based research would have been preferable, this too was limited by the closure of the Humanities library at the University of Alberta (the primary source for political science books and journals) between December 24, 2000 and January 8, 2001.

Appendices

Printouts of relevant web pages and copies of articles have been included in the list of appendices, including some previously distributed to committee members.

Research Bibliography

Bashevkin, Sylvia B. Toeing the Lines: Women and party politics in English Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985.

Bass, Loretta E., and Lynne M. Casper. Are There Differences in Registration and Voting Behavior Between Naturalized and Native-born Americans? (1999, February) Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0028/twps0028.html

Baxter, Sandra, and Marjorie Causing. Women and Politics: The invisible majority. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1980.

Conway, M. Margaret et al: Women and Political Participation: Cultural change in the political arena. Washington: CQ Press, 1997.

Flammang, Janet A: Women's Political Voice: How women are transforming the practice and study of politics. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997.

Gidengil, Elisabeth, and Joanna Everitt. Filtering the Female: Television News Coverage of the 1993 Canadian Leaders' Debates [Abstract]. Women and Politics, 21:4 (2000)

Gidengil, Elisabeth, at al (2000). Women to the Left, Men to the Right? Gender and voting in the 1997 Canadian election. Presented at the 2000 Congress of the International Political Science Association, Quebec City, August 1-5, 2000.

McCue, Cliddord P., and J. David Gopoian. Dispositional Empathy and the Political Gender Gap [Abstract]. Women and Politics, 21: 2, (2000)

Rebick, Judy and Huguette Leger. NAC Voter's Guide. Hull, PQ: Voyageur, 1993

 

 

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