The ANU Australian Election Study has released the data for the 2019 federal election.

The gender gap in voting patterns between genders continues to widen with 45% of men giving their first preferences to the Liberal Party vs. just 35% of women. Women were also more likely to vote Labor at 37%, compared to 34% of men. This continues a long-term trend since the 1990s. Women also self-identify as more left-leaning and men as more right-leaning.

The survey also discredits anti-choice campaigners who claimed that the ALP policy platform that included access to abortion services contributed to the electoral loss.  There is no evidence that the opposition to abortion has changed and hence impacted on the May 18 result with still only 4% of Australian opposed to abortion. 

The results of this study support the recommendations EMILY's List Australia made to the ALP's election review in our  “Target the message: Gender learnings from the Federal Election Campaign 2019” report.  This includes investing resources into gender-based campaigning and communications targeted towards women voters and more women in campaign decision-making and staffing clicking here.