Peggy Fitzpatrick could help determine the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
The 47-year-old Hillsdale resident fits the typical description of a woman voter - she's concerned about Michigan's sluggish economy, the rising cost of health care, and the tough job market.
As an unemployed human resource professional, she's seen the impact of the state's economic slump firsthand. Fitzpatrick has had to close two manufacturing plants, one in Southfield in 2000 and another in Petersburg in 2002, the latter displacing 250 workers. As a result, she had to move more than 100 miles each time.
But there's one factor that sets Fitzpatrick apart from many of her female counterparts in the November election - she's a swing voter.
"In 2000, I thought Bush had a lot of integrity and he was strong about sparking the economy," Fitzpatrick said. "Now I know his mind is elsewhere, like on being re-elected."
When she goes to the polls this year, she said her vote will go to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
"He's more in tune with our situation in Michigan, and is concerned about keeping our jobs here," Fitzpatrick said.
With just more than a month before the election, Fitzpatrick's vote may play a critical role in determining whether the incumbent will get four more years in office.
One in three women voters are considered swing voters, according to a recent survey conducted by EMILY's List. The list is a Washington-based political network for pro-choice, Democratic women.
"The main thing about these voters is that they have not fully made up their minds," EMILY's List spokeswoman Ramona Oliver said. "They can still be spoken to and persuaded to join one side."
Out of the voting-age population, 56.2 percent of women reported voting in the 2000 election compared to 53.1 percent of men, according to Rutgers University's Center of American Women and Politics. Those numbers translate into 59.3 million women versus 51.5 million men.
Based on these numbers, there's a potential for eight million more women to vote in the election than men, said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics.
"What we're seeing is the majority of those who are undecided are women, which makes the woman vote more important than ever," Walsh said. "These women undecided voters have the potential to have a lot of power in this election.
"They may well determine the outcome."
Since 1964, the number of women voters who turned out at the polls has exceeded the number of men, and the proportion of eligible women who voted has exceeded the proportion of eligible men who have voted since 1980, the center found.
In order to target these voters, the respective camps are utilizing a range of tactics. Surrogates such as Teresa Heinz Kerry and Laura Bush are tailoring their speeches to address issues that traditionally concern women voters, such as health care, jobs and education.
The Kerry campaign is working hard to attain these votes, party spokesman Rodell Mollineau said. Visits by both Teresa Heinz Kerry and Elizabeth Edwards in recent weeks are a testament to that, he said.
"They speak to a broader audience of Michigan voters than some people would think," Mollineau said. "Having women hearing from them on these issues is important."
Using surrogates is a common tactic to pinpoint the important issues for a certain voting segment, said Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of the Lansing-based newsletter Inside Michigan Politics.
Representatives such as Laura Bush are more effective at addressing the issues that concern women than candidates themselves, he said.
"She's a hell of an asset, and she's better than Bush or Cheney at getting out to certain groups and talking about the issues they care about," Ballenger said.
And the Bush camp has a strategy of their own, dubbed the "W Stands for Women" steering committee. The committee recruits female Bush volunteers to help spread the president's message because there's nothing more powerful than peer-to-peer contact, said Bush campaign spokeswoman Sharon Castillo.
"It's a closely divided country, and we know every vote counts," Castillo said. "Swing voters, particularly women, are going to have a great impact."
Women business owners are the fastest growing part of the small business sector, starting businesses at twice the rate of men, Castillo said. She added that the president's efforts to provide affordable health care for small business owners is a testament to his concern for women voters.
"Women are proud of the president's achievements," Castillo said. "The policies he has in place will benefit them specifically."
Despite the efforts made to address women's issues, women such as Lansing resident Emilie Volkert, 23, say both parties have room for improvement.
"I haven't heard either party tailor their messages directly to women," said Volkert, a worker at Big Brothers Big Sisters, a volunteer-based mentor program.
All voters seem to care about many of the same issues, but the camps have to adjust their messages to try and fit the profile of the independent voter whose support they're trying to get, Ballenger said.
"It's not as though these swing voters have a completely different set of issues that they care about," he said. "But they're more important votes because they haven't made up their minds."
