Repealing the 19th Amendment?

In some corners of the conservative right, a provocative idea is gaining attention: repeal the 19th Amendment. The argument goes like this – since women, statistically, tend to vote more liberal, restricting their vote would shift America back toward conservative governance. On its surface, it's a blunt and seemingly pragmatic solution to a problem we all see: our culture and laws are marching further away from biblical truth.

But when we dig deeper – into the statistics, into Scripture, and into history – we find the issue isn't female suffrage at all. The real issue is worldview, not gender.

What the numbers actually show

Yes, women as a whole lean more liberal. In the 2020 presidential election, 57% of women voted Democrat compared to 45% of men. In the 2024 presidential election, a pronounced gender gap re-emerged: women favored Harris by roughly 10 points, men tilted to Trump by a similar margin.

But lumping all women together is misleading. When you separate voters by worldview, the picture changes dramatically.

According to Pew Research, white evangelical Protestant women overwhelmingly vote Republican – about 75% in 2020, a rate higher than many male voter groups. In fact, a conservative Christian woman is far more likely to vote for biblical values than a secular, progressive man. Conversely, a secular liberal woman and a secular liberal man will almost always vote the same way – against life, against marriage, and against religious liberty.

Among married individuals, Pew Research also showed both men and women lean Republican – 59% of married men and 50% of married women identify or lean that way. Conversely, never‑married women skew heavily Democratic (72% vs. 24%); likewise, never‑married men also favor Democrats but by a smaller margin (61% vs. 37%). This shows what matters most: commitment to biblical values, marriage, religious engagement – not gender itself – predicts conservative voting.

If the real threat to our nation's moral fabric is the rejection of God's design, then the line isn't between male and female voters – it's between those with a biblical worldview and those without.

The biblical lens on voting

Scripture doesn't command a specific form of government or method of selecting our leaders. It doesn't command universal suffrage. It doesn't command a constitutional republic. God has ordained three institutions – the family, the church, and civil government – and He has given each specific purposes. The Bible's directive for government is simple: promote good, restrain evil, and protect God-given rights.

How a nation chooses its leaders – whether by all citizens, property owners, or tribal elders – is a matter of prudence, not divine decree. That means Christians can faithfully debate the question of who should vote in America without violating Scripture. It is a wisdom issue.

A lesson from the founding

When America was founded, voting was not a universal right. In most states, only free men who owned property could vote. The reasoning was clear: property ownership demonstrated a tangible stake in the nation's success and independence from state dependency. Those reliant on government for welfare, the Founders reasoned, would be tempted to vote for more government handouts – at the expense of liberty and prosperity.

This perhaps wasn't perfect, but the underlying principle is worth revisiting. A voting requirement based on tangible investment in the nation – such as real property ownership in a primary residence – would naturally exclude those living on government welfare without eliminating the votes of godly women who share conservative values.

The way forward

As Christian conservatives, our goal should be to restore righteousness in governance. That will not come by pitting men against women or trying to manipulate the right to access franchise to skew the outcome, but by calling voters – male and female – to repent and embrace a biblical worldview. Restricting the vote by gender would alienate millions of faithful, Bible-believing women who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in defending life, liberty, and the gospel in the public square.

If we want to reform the electorate, let’s focus on reforming the heart. And if we want to protect the republic from those who would vote it into ruin, perhaps the Founders' wisdom on tying the vote to demonstrated responsibility deserves a serious look. In the end, it's about ensuring that those who vote have a genuine stake in preserving the liberty we've been entrusted with – and then trusting We The People to select and prefer godly men and women as our leaders.

(Editor's Note: This article was posted first on the American Family News website HERE.)

Show Comments

Please Note: We moderate all reader comments, usually within 24 hours of posting (longer on weekends). Please limit your comment to 300 words or less and ensure it addresses the content. Comments that contain a link (URL), an inordinate number of words in ALL CAPS, rude remarks directed at the author or other readers, or profanity/vulgarity will not be approved.