Gender gap: the myth of the women’s vote

Gender voting intention is not the most reliable barometer of the US electorate, writes, Heather Hurlburt

Among the clichés that deserve to be thrown out after the recent presidential election in the United States is the idea of a “women’s vote”.

It may seem surprising that only 54% of the female electorate voted for Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated for president by a major party. However, while gender is a strong marker for how Americans think about certain issues, it is not the best predictor of how they will vote. It turns out that female candidates do not face a single gender gap, but rather multiple gender gaps.