President Elect Obama

Young people voted for Barack Obama by a far wider margin than did voters in other age groups, a result that one pundit believes likely helped win over close states.

Voters ages 18 to 29 favored Obama over Republican opponent John McCain by double-digit figures, 66 percent to 32 percent, according to national exit polls studied by a group that tracks youth voting. Other age groups had an 8-percentage-point difference, at most, between the two candidates.

In prior elections, the youth vote deviated at most by about 2 percentage points from other age groups, with youths tending to lean Democratic.

Nationally Among all voters, Obama captured 52 percent of the popular vote to McCain's 46 percent, with 94 percent of all precincts tallied, according to the Associated Press.

In Arizona, McCain's home state, the margin between them was much narrower.

Young voters here, too, chose Obama over McCain, 52 to 48 percent, though McCain won the state's overall popular vote.
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