Political Participation

Shaping their own future

When women participate in the political process, they shape policies in ways that reflect their interests and needs. The Status of Women in the States’ Political Participation Index looks at women as voters, grassroots activists and campaign fundraisers, and officeholders and examines the uneven progress they have made.

Explore the Data

The Political Participation Index measures women’s political participation through four key indicators. Each state is ranked and graded based on their performance on these four measures.

Women in Elected Office

State	Score	Rank
Alabama	-0.48	31
Alaska	0.09	19
Arizona	1.8	5
Arkansas	-0.94	46
California	1.41	7
Colorado	-0.02	21
Connecticut	-0.33	25
Delaware	0.22	18
Florida	-0.35	26
Georgia	-0.05	22
Hawaii	0.46	16
Idaho	-0.33	24
Illinois	0.55	14
Indiana	-0.45	29
Iowa	0.91	10
Kansas	0.26	17
Kentucky	-1.2	47
Louisiana	-1.52	50
Maine	1.83	4
Maryland	-0.77	38
Massachusetts	0.63	13
Michigan	1.64	6
Minnesota	1.36	8
Mississippi	-0.42	28
Missouri	-0.82	41
Montana	-0.72	37
Nebraska	-0.69	35
Nevada	2.55	1
New Hampshire	1.93	2
New Jersey	-0.63	33
New Mexico	0.7	12
New York	0.5	15
North Carolina	-0.87	43
North Dakota	-0.88	44
Ohio	-0.89	45
Oklahoma	-0.8	39
Oregon	0.93	9
Pennsylvania	-0.82	40
Rhode Island	0.83	11
South Carolina	-1.44	49
South Dakota	-0.25	23
Tennessee	-0.58	32
Texas	-0.85	42
Utah	-1.26	48
Vermont	-0.39	27
Virginia	-0.63	33
Washington	1.89	3
West Virginia	-0.71	36
Wisconsin	0.1	19
Wyoming	-0.47	30

Average Percent of Women Who Registered to Vote, 2016 and 2018

State	Percent	Rank
Alabama	69.6%	17
Alaska	66.6%	29
Arizona	62.4%	40
Arkansas	61.7%	43
California	54.5%	49
Colorado	65.4%	32
Connecticut	64.9%	36
Delaware	67.5%	25
Florida	59.5%	45
Georgia	65.1%	35
Hawaii	51.8%	50
Idaho	61.8%	42
Illinois	67.3%	26
Indiana	64.2%	39
Iowa	70.3%	15
Kansas	69.5%	19
Kentucky	72.4%	9
Louisiana	70.4%	14
Maine	79.8%	1
Maryland	67.8%	24
Massachusetts	65.2%	34
Michigan	72.8%	7
Minnesota	74.3%	3
Mississippi	77.9%	2
Missouri	73.7%	6
Montana	72.8%	7
Nebraska	69.6%	17
Nevada	59.3%	46
New Hampshire	71.1%	11
New Jersey	62.3%	41
New Mexico	61.6%	44
New York	58.8%	48
North Carolina	67.8%	23
North Dakota	73.7%	5
Ohio	71.1%	10
Oklahoma	64.5%	38
Oregon	69.5%	18
Pennsylvania	68.7%	21
Rhode Island	66.8%	27
South Carolina	68.2%	22
South Dakota	69.6%	16
Tennessee	64.7%	37
Texas	59.1%	47
Utah	66.2%	31
Vermont	70.4%	13
Virginia	68.8%	20
Washington	70.6%	12
West Virginia	65.4%	32
Wisconsin	74.1%	4
Wyoming	66.6%	29

Average Percent of Women Who Voted, 2016 and 2018

State	Percent	Rank
Alabama	54.9%	34
Alaska	56.1%	25
Arizona	55.5%	32
Arkansas	49.6%	44
California	47.6%	48
Colorado	60.4%	12
Connecticut	54.3%	35
Delaware	55.7%	31
Florida	51.8%	40
Georgia	56.6%	22
Hawaii	43.7%	50
Idaho	52.8%	37
Illinois	55.8%	29
Indiana	52.3%	39
Iowa	60.1%	13
Kansas	58.0%	19
Kentucky	56.0%	28
Louisiana	55.7%	30
Maine	70.5%	1
Maryland	55.4%	33
Massachusetts	56.1%	27
Michigan	61.8%	8
Minnesota	64.6%	4
Mississippi	62.4%	6
Missouri	60.6%	10
Montana	65.7%	3
Nebraska	58.6%	18
Nevada	49.1%	45
New Hampshire	61.6%	9
New Jersey	52.6%	38
New Mexico	50.3%	43
New York	49.1%	46
North Carolina	56.2%	24
North Dakota	63.5%	5
Ohio	59.3%	14
Oklahoma	51.7%	41
Oregon	60.5%	11
Pennsylvania	57.4%	21
Rhode Island	54.0%	36
South Carolina	56.1%	25
South Dakota	56.4%	23
Tennessee	51.1%	42
Texas	47.2%	49
Utah	57.9%	20
Vermont	59.2%	15
Virginia	58.8%	16
Washington	62.0%	7
West Virginia	48.2%	47
Wisconsin	67.4%	2
Wyoming	58.7%	17

Women’s Institutional Resources Index

State	Score	Rank
Alabama	1.00	25
Alaska	0.00	50
Arizona	1.00	25
Arkansas	0.50	40
California	2.00	1
Colorado	1.00	25
Connecticut	1.50	5
Delaware	1.50	5
Florida	2.00	1
Georgia	1.50	5
Hawaii	1.50	5
Idaho	0.50	40
Illinois	1.00	25
Indiana	1.50	5
Iowa	1.50	5
Kansas	1.50	5
Kentucky	1.50	5
Louisiana	0.50	40
Maine	1.00	25
Maryland	1.00	25
Massachusetts	2.00	1
Michigan	1.50	5
Minnesota	1.50	5
Mississippi	1.00	25
Missouri	1.50	5
Montana	0.50	40
Nebraska	0.50	40
Nevada	0.50	40
New Hampshire	1.00	25
New Jersey	1.50	5
New Mexico	1.00	25
New York	1.50	5
North Carolina	1.50	5
North Dakota	1.00	25
Ohio	1.50	5
Oklahoma	1.50	5
Oregon	1.50	5
Pennsylvania	1.50	5
Rhode Island	0.50	40
South Carolina	1.00	25
South Dakota	1.00	25
Tennessee	1.50	5
Texas	2.00	1
Utah	0.50	40
Vermont	1.00	25
Virginia	0.50	40
Washington	1.50	5
West Virginia	1.00	25
Wisconsin	1.00	25
Wyoming	0.50	40

Political Participation Rank and Score by State

Articles and Publications

Understanding the Student Parent Experience: The Need for Improved Data Collection on Parent Status in Higher Education
Understanding the Student Parent Experience: The Need for Improved Data Collection on Parent Status in Higher Education

Understanding the Student Parent Experience: The Need for Improved Data Collection on Parent Status in Higher Education

Data on students’ parent status would help campuses, higher education systems, and policymakers assess needs, target supports and services, understand student outcomes, and measure what works to promote student parent enrollment, persistence, and completion.

By Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Barbara Gault and Tessa Holtzman|October 6, 2020|Briefing Paper, Student Parent Success Initiative|

Women Fall Further Behind Men in Recovery and Are 5.8 Million Jobs Below Pre-COVID Employment Level
Women Fall Further Behind Men in Recovery and Are 5.8 Million Jobs Below Pre-COVID Employment Level

Women Fall Further Behind Men in Recovery and Are 5.8 Million Jobs Below Pre-COVID Employment Level

New jobs figures from September show much less job growth than in the previous month, particularly for women, according to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics latest Employment Situation release. Women’s official rates unemployment fell, while the number of women who are no longer actively looking for work increased.

By Ariane Hegewisch|October 6, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Quick Figure|

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity
Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Notes: Estimates presented for All Women are based on the earnings ratio for full-time, year-round workers between all women and all men, while the estimates for White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic women are based on the earnings ratio for full-time, year-round workers of each [...]

By Valerie Lacarte and Jeff Hayes|September 28, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Quick Figure, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Economy|

State-by-State Earnings for American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Wage Gaps Across the States
State-by-State Earnings for American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Wage Gaps Across the States

State-by-State Earnings for American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Wage Gaps Across the States

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women have made important advances socially, economically, and politically—they are starting their own businesses, getting elected to congress, and serving essential roles in their families and communities. Despite their efforts, they continue to face a range of obstacles to their and their family’s economic wellbeing and overall economic security.

By Chandra Childers and Ariane Hegewisch|September 28, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Fact Sheet, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Economy|

Same Gap, Different Year: The Gender Wage Gap, 2019 Earnings Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity
Same Gap, Different Year: The Gender Wage Gap, 2019 Earnings Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity

Same Gap, Different Year: The Gender Wage Gap, 2019 Earnings Differences by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity

The rate of progress toward closing the gender pay gap did not increase in 2019. If the pace of change in the annual earnings ratio continues at the same rate as it has since 1960, it will take another 39 years, until 2059, for men and women to reach parity.1 This projection for equal pay has remained unchanged for the past four years.

By Ariane Hegewisch and Halie Mariano|September 16, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Fact Sheet|

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1960–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity in 2059
Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1960–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity in 2059

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1960–2019 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity in 2059

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s Median Earnings, 1960-2019 (Full-time, Year-round Workers) with Projection for Pay Equity in 2059

By Valerie Lacarte and Jeff Hayes|September 15, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Quick Figure|

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