Gender and Electoral Behavior

Kittilson examines the general contours of men and women’s electoral participation and voting preferences in the post-World War II era through the theoretical lens of the “gender gap.” She provides an overview of gender gaps in voter participation and vote preferences around the world, focusing on cross-national and cross-temporal variations. Although early research was largely limited to the USA and Western Europe, more recent literature examines Eastern and Central Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Overall, gender differences in voter participation have narrowed in recent decades, such that today women are as likely as men to cast a ballot on election day. At the same time, gaps in vote choice have reversed direction: Whereas women tended to vote more conservatively than men, they now vote more progressively.