Over the last several years, dating sites have reported that politics is becoming a top issue for singles when deciding whether to meet or not meet up with a possible “significant other.”
In fact, a person’s political identity is now considered more important than somebody’s religion or age when it comes to choosing a dating match.
Some Examples.
In November of 2025, a survey by Change Research found most men (64%) and women (55%) said their biggest dating red flag is when somebody identifies themselves as a communist.
“Liberal or conservative, Republican or MAGA, Socialist or democrat is what the first thing many singles seem to be looking out for when it comes to dating online,” says political commentator and social media content creator Kaitlin Colegate.
During COVID, the political identities were at least somewhat pushed aside. The top issue for singles was whether you were vaccinated and whether you were wearing your mask.
In 2021, Match Group Data showed () 80% of vaccinated singles preferred a vaccinated partner, and over 50% would refuse a second date or relationship with an unvaccinated individual.
Also that same year, UCLA Health asked 111 people, “Has COVID-19 changed the way you view dating or being intimate with someone?” 88% said yes.
71% said that a person’s vaccination status played a major role in whether they would date them.
Other dating apps said getting the COVID shot was a dealbreaker for whether they would go out with that person.
In 2022, the Pew Research Center found that 56% didn’t care if the other person was vaccinated against COVID-19 when deciding whether to go on a date with them, but 41% said they would only consider going out with someone who is vaccinated.
