Voter registration numbers in some battleground states should make Republicans nervous

Laura Clawson

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday August 17, 2022 · 10:33 AM PDT

2022/08/17 · 10:33

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 23: Protestors march and chant in Downtown Atlanta, in opposition to Georgia's new abortion law on July 23, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. A federal appeals court has decided to allow a Georgia law that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy to go into effect. Previously Georgia law allowed abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

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In the weeks between the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and Kansas voters strongly rejecting an amendment that would have allowed Republican legislators to ban abortion in the state, a whopping 70% of all new voter registrations were by women. One thing that should be scaring Republicans is that it’s not just Kansas. Far from it.

A new report from TargetSmart—and data obtained by TargetSmart since the report was released Tuesday—shows women outpacing men in voter registrations in a series of states, including some with the most hotly contested elections this November.

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In Wisconsin, where Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is challenging Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, women have out-registered men by 15.6 percentage points among the nearly 13,000 people who have registered to vote since June 24.

Michigan voters will not only choose their governor and secretary of state—right-wing extremist Tudor Dixon is challenging Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and election denier Kristina Karamo is challenging Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to oversee the state’s elections—they’ll also be voting on a ballot measure protecting reproductive rights. And in Michigan, women have out-registered men by 8.1 percentage points since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision put abortion rights at risk in the state.

In Pennsylvania, women have out-registered men by 17 points since June 24. Pennsylvania has not one but two marquee races: Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman vs. celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz for Senate, and current Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro vs. extremist conspiracy theorist Doug Mastriano for governor. Mastriano has tried to back away from his opposition to abortion ban exceptions for rape or incest by saying, falsely, that the governor wouldn’t have any say over state abortion policy anyway, but Democrats are not letting him get away with it.

In Ohio, the registration advantage among women since Dobbs is 11 points, according to TargetSmart, and in North Carolina, it’s seven points.

By contrast, in New York and Rhode Island, where abortion is protected by state law, new voter registrations are nearly equal for women and men.

Here are the states with the biggest gender gap among new registrants since the Dobbs decision was handed down. This isn't just a blue state phenomena. In fact, it is more pronounced in states where choice is more at risk, or has been eliminated by the decision. pic.twitter.com/X4Kj2oG550
— Tom Bonier (@tbonier) August 17, 2022

Planned Parenthood is trying to take advantage of the moment with a $50 million effort in Republican-controlled states, in addition to Democratic campaign ads highlighting Republican extremism on abortion. It’s good to see advocacy groups and Democrats taking advantage of the moment.

Abortion rights, gun safety, and the our planet are all at stake in this election. We must persuade Democratic voters to turn out in November. Click here to volunteer with Vote Forward and write personalized letters to targeted voters on your own schedule from the comfort of your own home, without ever having to talk to anyone.

Kentucky and Michigan court decisions on abortion highlight the importance of upcoming ballot votes

Voter registration numbers in some battleground states should make Republicans nervous

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