Young Voters Swung Away From Obama in 2012

Voters ages 18 to 29 supported Barack Obama by a huge 34 percentage-point margin in 2008, but the youth vote swung 11 points away from the incumbent in this year’s election.

Obama won the youth vote 66 percent to 32 percent when he ran against John McCain, but his margin dropped to 60 percent to 37 percent against Mitt Romney, according to exit polling conducted by Edison Research.

That was by far the largest swing among any demographic group. Obama’s margin dipped 4 points among voters aged 65 and over, and 5 points among those 45 to 64, and he lost in both demographics. Obama did gain one point among voters 30 to 44 and won that group.

And despite predictions to the contrary, the 18-to-29 turnout actually increased from the 2008 level, accounting for 19 percent of those who voted compared to 18 percent four years ago.

This year “saw the largest drop in support from the 18-to-29 demographic for any incumbent president who won re-election in history,” Generation Opportunity, a grassroots organization focusing on young Americans, said in a statement.

“Underneath these numbers, young Americans are fundamentally reshaping how they think about issues like unemployment, job creation, taxes, and regulation.

“The fact that young Americans will represent 38 percent of the electorate by 2020 makes this all the more relevant.”