New Study Reveals Your Politics May Affect Your Love Life

Are you a Republican or Democrat? Turns out, how you vote in the upcoming election might also reveal your tendencies in regard to love and sex.

According to a comprehensive study released by Match.com of 5,000 singles surveyed across the U.S., Republican and Democratic singles seek dramatically different traits in a partner. Democrats are more likely to seek out mates with a sense of humor, similar lifestyle, someone they consider to be "equal" and have a sense of independence. Republicans put up a few more restrictions when it comes to choosing a partner - they prefer mates who have the same background and politics as they do. They also prefer mates who are interested in marriage.

But the differences between parties aren't just limited to the search for a mate. Turns out, things are different in the bedroom, too. Conservative Republicans are significantly more likely to be very satisfied with their sex lives (40%), but they also had the least amount of sex (at least in the last 12 months before the survey was taken).

Fidelity is also a political hot button in the survey. 80% of women and only 62% of men say that sexual fidelity in a relationship is a "must have," but 91% of women and 87% of men believe there are no acceptable excuses for infidelity by a political candidate. If this sounds a bit hypocritical, maybe we've had one too many sex scandals in politics over the past fifteen years.

The study was conducted by biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher, Dr. Laura Berman, a sex and relationship therapist, Dr. Justin R. Garcia, an evolutionary biologist with The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and the Institute for Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) at Binghamton University.

Some other interesting findings:

• The bad economy isn't affecting the love lives of singles. While the economy is the number one source of stress in singles' lives (and I assume among most couples, too), 60% surveyed say it hasn't changed their dating habits. Over 40% said they would date someone who was unemployed if they were already interested in him/her.

• Singles prefer fulfilling relationships over following tradition. Only 11% of singles said they "must have" a partner from the same ethnic or religious background or who could give them children. The majority of singles prefer someone who they feel they can trust or confide in.

For more information on the dating service which released this study, please check out our Match.com review.