Voter motivation
Critical Analysis
Based on the data from the visual above, in Kansas right before the Dobbs leak, approximately what percent of all new registered voters were women?
Based on the data from the visual above, in Kansas right after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, approximately what percent of all new registered voters were women?
Explain why the percentage of voter registration of women changed in Kansas.
A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. Based on your knowledge of American politics, explain whether the Federalists or the Anti-Federalists would have been more supportive of the use of referendums?
In August after the Dobbs ruling, in Kansas, a state that Donald Trump won in 2020 by 15 points (which is a landslide in politics) supporters of abortion rights won a huge and surprising victory on Tuesday in one of the most conservative states in the country, with Kansas voters resoundingly rejecting a constitutional amendment that would have let state legislators ban or significantly restrict abortion (winning by over 18 points). Make a claim explaining how the increased female voter registration impacted this referendum.
If you had voted on the Kansas referendum how would you have voted.
Based on the first chart below,* in general, how has women as a percentage of new registered voters changed in states other than Kansas.
Based on the second chart below,** in general, what party of female registered votes support?
The fact that women tend to support Democratic party more than the Republican Party, and that men do the opposite is referred to as the gender gap. Why do you think women tend to vote Democratic?
On Tuesday, in a swing-district in New York State, the Democrat Pat Ryan posted a surprising (52-48) victory after putting abortion at the center of his campaign. In midterms, history is usually on the party out of power's side, and Republicans had success early on in Biden's presidency, overperforming in races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as special elections earlier this cycle. But as the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman lays out, that changed post-Dobbs (see below***). How do you think abortion will impact the 2022 midterm elections?
Learning Extension
Read the Upshot article about the post-Dobbs voter registration landscape.
Action Extension
If you will be 18 years old by Tuesday, November 8 then take two minutes and register to vote online. If you are too young to vote this year then find someone who is old enough and convince them to register.
