In the past we blogged about Sarah Palin’s reach with women voters in key swing states. Tonight’s debate will be a turning point for undecided voters who are basing their election decision on what is said and presented tonight. A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows 6 in 10 independent voters think Palin is unqualified for the job. The McCain-Palin ticket is under additional pressure with Barack Obama solidifying leads in battleground blue states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. In recent days, Obama had already taken leads in several states which voted for President Bush in either 2000 or 2004: New Mexico, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Colorado.

Using Finder! and Maker!, we developed maps that showed the potential Sarah Palin has in securing the important female vote, particularly in her target demographic (women under 50). We first looked at which states had the highest population of women between the ages of 18 and 50, and then examined the correlation of those states which were electing female officials.

States such as California, Texas, and Virginia have a high female voting population, and are electing female Mayors. There is a high population of female voters in battleground states like Utah and Colorado, but they do not generally elect female officials. Based on these demographics, Sarah Palin may need to do some strong campaigning in those battleground states in order to ensure that women vote for the McCain-Palin ticket.

Take a look at how we used Finder! and Maker! on our YouTube channel.

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