Women and gender-nonconforming people were more likely than men to fear violence and harassment while voting in the 2024 election, and those who expressed concerns about safety were more likely not to vote at all, new research on gender gaps in perceived voting safety shows.

The study, released Monday and shared first with The 19th, was conducted by States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan organization focused on promoting fair and secure elections and upholding the rule of law, in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, a fund focused on social impact backed by Melinda French Gates. Pivotal Ventures is also a funder of The 19th.

“Tens of millions of Americans ultimately cast their ballots in 2024 without incident,” the report said, regarding gender gaps in perceived voting safety. “But voting was not straightforward and safe for all Americans. Many were harassed, and a limited number were subjected to physical violence.”

The study found that the 2024 election was, as a whole, safe, fair and securely conducted, with voters overwhelmingly reporting feeling safe at the polls and confident in the safety and security of the election. But rising incidents of political violence, heightened political polarization and gender-based harassment had a measurable impact on how women and gender-noncomforming people especially viewed the safety of voting in the 2024 election — and whether they turned out to vote at all, the study says.

Researchers surveyed voters before and after the 2024 election in partnership with research data and analytics group YouGov and held a series of seven focus groups before the election — with three groups of White women, three groups of women of color and one made up of gender-nonconforming participants. They also fielded surveys of state lawmakers, election administrators and law enforcement officials in partnership with the nonprofit CivicPulse. The study is also one of the first of its kind to study gender gaps in perceived voting safety and the voting experiences of gender-nonconforming voters, who are subject to gender-based discrimination and harassment at the polls.

Read the full article about gender gaps in perceived voting safety by Grace Panetta at The 19th.