• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, October 10, 2004

If undecided voters are to determine the outcome of the 2004 presidential election, then the marital disposition of women could be a major factor, according to a report on the voting plans of American women released Friday by comScore Networks. The study found that so-called "security moms"--mothers who are concerned about terrorism and the security of the United States--are most likely to vote for President George W. Bush, while women who have never been married are most likely to vote for challenger Senator John Kerry.

"The expected impact of younger women and particularly that of the 'security mom' segment on the outcome of the election has been the focus of a great deal of attention. This study indicates far more complex underlying dynamics across female voter groups," stated Linda Abraham, executive vice president of comScore Networks. "In a race as tight as this one, the candidate that understands and addresses these dynamics might well come out ahead."

With only weeks before Election Day, the comScore data reveals some interesting targeting data for the presidential campaign teams to focus on swinging these voters in their direction. The analysis reveals that Bush supporters are 76 percent more likely than the general online population to visit sites in the "Community-Family" category, 75 percent more likely to visit the "Sports category," 50 percent more likely to visit the "Community-Teens" category, and 15 percent more likely to visit the "Politics" category.

Conversely, women who support Kerry are 45 percent more likely to visit "Financial Information" and "Advice" sites, 65 percent more likely to visit "Entertainment-Movies" sites, and 89 percent more likely to visit sites in the "Health-Information" category. Kerry supporters are also significantly more likely to visit e-commerce categories, such as "Retail-Books" and "Travel."

Voting Plans by Marital Status and Motherhood

Married/With Kids  Married/Without Kids  Never Married 
Bush/Cheney                56%                   51%            33% 
Kerry/Edwards              32%                   35%            53%

Nader/Camejo                1%                    1%             0% 
None                        2%                    2%             2%  
Don't Know                  9%
10%            11% 

Source: comScore Networks. Base = 1,592 registered female voters surveyed Sept. 24-29.