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May 9, 2026Current Psychology0 citationsOpen Access

Was gender really on the ballot? Examining sexism and voting behavior in the U.S. presidential election

CSC. Veronica SmithCSCaitlin ShawEBEmma F. Broemmer

Key Points

  • This study explores how ambivalent attitudes towards gender influence voting choices in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
  • Collected 500 responses from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults one day after the election.
  • Evaluated the link between ambivalent sexism and voting for Trump/Vance or Harris/Walz.
  • Analyzed participants' beliefs regarding gender discrimination.
  • Men and women's endorsement of certain prejudicial gender attitudes predicted their voting, with significant implications.
  • Specific ambivalent attitudes were linked to voting behavior for Trump/Vance vs. Harris/Walz.
  • Results suggest that gender attitudes may have shaped electoral choices in the 2024 election.

Abstract

Abstract Political observers proposed that gender was on the ballot in the 2024 US presidential election, in ways beyond just the candidates themselves. Ambivalent Sexism research (AS; Glick & Fiske, 2001) spans many domains but there is limited research examining its link to voting behavior in elections. This study aimed to contribute to the paucity of research on this topic by evaluating how ambivalent attitudes toward women and men, and the belief that men experience more discrimination today compared to women, predicted voting behavior in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. We collected 500 responses from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults one day after the US. presidential election. The results revealed that men and women’s endorsement of some prejudicial gender attitudes, but not others, predicted voting for Trump/Vance or Harris/Walz. This work implies that gender may have been on the ballot in this election.

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Cite This Study

Smith et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69fed16ab9154b0b82878ba8https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-026-09326-9
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