Historically, women have had slightly higher rates of voter turnout than men % of eligible voters who say they voted, by gender
And women have largely exercised this right: In every U.S. presidential election dating back to 1984, women reported having turned out to vote at slightly higher rates than men, according to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by the Center. At the same time, the gender gap in party affiliation continues to widen.
In 2016, 63% of women who were eligible to vote said they cast ballots in the presidential election, compared with 59% of men. That 4 percentage point gender gap is similar to the 4-point gaps in 2012 and 2008 as well as the 3-point gaps in 2004, 2000 and 1996. In 1980, when voter turnout data first became available, there was no gender gap in turnout: 64% of both men and women reported turning out to vote in that year’s election. These patterns are also similar for midterm elections.
Historically, women have had slightly higher rates of voter turnout than men  | % of eligible voters who say they voted, by gender  | 80%  | Women  | 64%  | 63  | 60 64  | Men  | 40  | 20  | '80  | 84  | '88  | 92  | '96  | 00  | 04  | '08  | 12  | '16  | Reagan vs, Reagan vs. H.W. Bush vs. H.W. Bush vs. Dole vs.  | W. Bush vs. W Bush vs. McCain vs. Romney vs. Trump vs.  | Mondale  | B. Clinton  | B. Clinton  | H.R. Clinton  | Carter  | Dukakis  | Gore  | Kerry  | Obama  | Obama  | Note: Eligible voters are U.S. citizens ages 18 and older. Prior to 1996 the COPS did not collect information on citizenship in  | uniform way, Estimates for voter turnout prior to 1996 should be interpreted with ca ution, as they are not directly  | comparable to estimates from 1996 and after.  | Source: Pew Research Center ta abulations of the 1980-2016 Current Population Survey November Supplement.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 