WOMEN VOTE! Fact Sheet
WOMEN VOTE! began in the aftermath of the 1994 elections when more than half — 16 million — of the women who voted in 1992 stayed home, helping to hand control of the U.S. Congress to right-wing Republicans.
But there was one bright spot that year: California, where the state Democratic Party, with the support of EMILY’s List, launched the nation’s first WOMEN VOTE! project. In a joint effort with the California Democratic Party, we mobilized more than 400,000 women with sporadic voting histories — helping Sen. Dianne Feinstein defeat a multi-millionaire challenger by 165,000 votes, helping Rep. Jane Harman hold onto her seat by a margin of 812 votes, and helping elect Democrats up and down the ticket in California. In 1995, EMILY’s List took the WOMEN VOTE! project national, launching a $10 million, multi-election program that has expanded to meet new demands and elect new candidates.
Over the years, EMILY’s List has replicated the success of that first WOMEN VOTE! project in congressional districts and states across the country. Since going national in 1995, EMILY’s List WOMEN VOTE!® projects have sent more than 32 million pieces of mail and made almost seven million phone calls to millions of key women voters in swing states across the nation. Year after year, we have confirmed one thing:
When women vote, women win!