November’s election was historic for many reasons, including turnout.
A new study shows it was the first time African-Americans had the highest turnout of any racial or ethnic group among voters under 30. The Pew Research Center also finds the sharpest jump in black voter participation in more than a decade. Sixty-five percent of blacks went to the polls, casting nearly 16 million ballots. That nearly matched the 66 percent turnout for whites.
The 2008 turnout was also the most diverse ever, fueled by high numbers of black women and Hispanics. Like blacks, Hispanics also made up a larger share of voter, with nearly 10 million casting votes.
Pew’s analysis of census data finds that whites cast 76 percent of all votes. That compares with 79 percent in the 2004 presidential election.
