Monday, November 02, 2020

The Changing Demographics of Voters

The nation's electorate is changing in every way. It is getting older, becoming more diverse, and is increasingly educated. Pew Research Center recently analyzed the demographics of registered voters and compared the results to voters in the past...

Non-Hispanic whites as a share of registered voters
Total registered voters: 69%
Democratic/lean Democratic: 59%
Republican/lean Republican: 81%

In 1996, fully 85 percent of registered voters were non-Hispanic white—94 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats.

People aged 50-plus as a share of registered voters
Total registered voters: 52%
Democratic/lean Democratic: 50%
Republican/lean Republican: 56%

The 50-plus age group accounts for the majority of registered voters heading into the 2020 election. In 1996, voters aged 50 or older were just 41 percent of the electorate.

College graduates as a share of registered voters
Total registered voters: 36%
Democratic/lean Democratic: 38%
Republican/lean Republican: 29%

College graduates are a much larger share of the electorate in 2020 than they were in 1996. People with a college degree accounted for just 24 percent of all registered voters in 1996. Back then, college graduates were a larger share of Republicans (27 percent) than Democrats (22 percent). Today, college graduates are a much larger share of Democrats than Republicans.

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