Do politics matter in dating? 72% of CMB Daters think so

There might’ve been a time when you could generally avoid the topic of politics if you weren’t all that interested — but the times, they have a-changed.

Thanks to that little personal computer we carry everywhere we go, most of us sport a screen time report we’d never share with another soul. Our day-to-day lives revolve around social media, so we’re subject to more opinions from strangers than ever. Top all that off with a relentless 24/7 news cycle and a rapid rise of U.S. political polarization, and you’ve got the perfect recipe to make politics a topic you simply can’t (and shouldn’t) avoid.

So naturally, it’s no surprise that these divides also influence our personal lives. But just how much do political beliefs impact our romantic relationships?

With the upcoming presidential election being top of mind for just about everyone in the U.S. right now, we decided now was a good time to get to the bottom of this. So, we surveyed CMB Daters to see just how the current political climate is influencing their dating decisions.

So, how much do politics matter? A good bit, apparently

From voting habits to political dealbreakers, our data shows that you just can’t keep politics out of dating. And why should you? After all, the best relationships are built on a foundation of shared values, so it makes sense that daters would be at least a little concerned with who you cast your vote for.

Infographic showing that 72% of CMB Daters think political alignment is at least somewhat important, and a majority also would use politics to filter on a dating app.

This shows that instead of waiting for a relationship to get underway only to realize you disagree on politics, more and more daters want to know this information upfront, and are using it to decide whether to like or pass.

Political dating dealbreakers

Speaking of passing on someone, we also got some insights into just how much politics can make or break a relationship, and what topics are driving daters to make these calls.

Some issues are particularly sensitive for daters. When it comes to beliefs that matter most for a relationship to work, the top three selections were women’s reproductive rights, racial equality, and economic policy — with over 52% of votes going to reproductive rights alone.

Left: Infographic showing political dealbreaker habits for CMB Daters, including what topics matter most in a relationship. Right: Infographic showing how CMB Daters feel about potential partners voting for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

So, it turns out that dating across the aisle is tricky — and it shows in the fact that the U.S. has seen a decline in politically-mixed marriages over the years.

But it is worth noting that while a high number of CMB Daters say they’d thinking about calling it quits over politics, the opposite was true when asked if they’d ever actually ended a relationship over this kind of disagreement, with just 17% saying yes. This serves as a reminder that matters like this aren’t black and white, and there’s a lot of gray space when it comes to compromising in relationships.

Hot people vote, according to CMB Daters

CMB Daters don’t just have strong opinions about politics — they’re getting in on the action, and want to see their potential partners do the same. The 2020 presidential election saw the highest turnout since 1900 with two-thirds of eligible voters showing up, so it’s encouraging to see such a high percentage of daters intending to keep that trend alive.

Infographic showing that the majority of CMB Daters plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election, and how much CMB Daters care about potential partners participating in politics.

Different parties, different dating dynamics

When we look at these stats through the lens of political affiliation, we see two different mindsets when it comes to how politics plays into dating.

Overall, CMB Daters on the left end of the spectrum are more concerned with political compatibility than their right-leaning counterparts.

Infographic showing that 89% of left-aligned daters care about their potential partner’s political alignment, while 68% of left-aligned daters feel the same.

Left daters are also much more cautious about dating across the aisle, with only 8% saying they’d be totally open to dating someone with different political views, no questions asked.

And lastly, left daters are more likely to view political differences as a dealbreaker. A significant 40% of left daters outright refuse to date someone with different political beliefs, which is much higher than the 17% of right daters who say the same.

A gender divide for politics in dating

When we dive even deeper into the survey results, another distinction jumps out: Women on CMB are much more politically minded when it comes to making dating decisions.

Infographic showing that women on CMB tend to care more about politics in dating, with more saying they’re not interested in dating someone with different views and they’ve ended a relationship because of political differences. It also shows that the majority of women on CMB would not date someone who votes for Donald Trump.

The importance women place on political compatibility shows up again and again throughout our data. Women are more likely to filter matches based on political alignment, more likely to discuss politics on dates, and more likely to add their political views to their profile.

Overall this shows that women are more inclined to be transparent about what they’re looking for and think it’s important to discuss these topics early on.

So, what’s up with the divide between men and women? One hypothesis points back to a trend being seen among single Americans between 18–30: Young single men have been moving to the right, while young women have been moving even further left. With over half of the women in our survey identified as left-leaning and the finding that our left daters seem to be less open to dating across the aisle, this difference of opinions between genders adds up.

Generational shifts in dating decisions

When looking at how Gen Z stacks up against millennials and Gen X, we get a little deja vu. Like the trend with women, Gen Z daters on CMB are the most left-leaning and are also the least interested in dating someone who has clashing political beliefs.

They also feel the strongest about the upcoming election, with 67% of Gen Z daters reporting they wouldn’t date someone who votes for Donald Trump.

But one difference that stood out for Gen Z? When we look more closely at the political issues that matter most for relationship compatibility, Gen Z showed a slightly stronger preference for social and civil rights issues than Gen X and millennial daters.

Infographic showing which political topics matter most for relationship compatibility, broken down by Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X daters.

Can you date across the aisle?

As you can see, it turns out that politics do play a pivotal role in most singles’ dating decisions, whether it’s liking someone on a dating app with “democrat” on their profile, or breaking up with someone because you can’t agree on a topical issue.

And in our humble opinion? That’s OK. You’re allowed to have preferences when it comes to who you want to spend your life with, and politics play a huge role in our daily lives — whether we like it or not. Recognizing what you want from a partner can help you navigate your dating journey more confidently, understand the difference between compatibility and chemistry, and maybe even save you from finding yourself in a relationship that ultimately isn’t going to work for you.

But it is key to remember that behind the labels, we’re all just people trying to figure this stuff out. So try to be open-minded, try to be a good listener, and most importantly, be kind!