Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reports that:
Young people (ages 18-29) represented 18 percent of the voters in today’s election, according to the early released National Exit Polls (NEP) conducted by Edison/Mitofsky. This is the one point higher than in 1996, 2000, and 2004, when young voters represented 17 percent of voters in each presidential election, according to the NEP. However, this number does not indicate how many young people voted or whether there was a rise in youth turnout. In recent elections, the youth share of the vote remained constant, because youth turnout rose at the same rate as the total turnout. ...
Young voters diverged sharply from the population as a whole, preferring Obama/Biden over McCain/Palin by 68% to 30% in the NEP. This is by far the highest share of the youth vote obtained by any candidate since exit polls began reporting results by age categories in 1976. In past elections from 1976 through 2004, young voters diverged by an average of only 1.8 percentage points from the popular vote as a whole. 2004 had set the previous record for an age gap.
The youth turnout numbers should become available some time this morning. This figure is the only one which will show if there was an increased percentage turnout of youth voters this year. The youth share as a portion of the total turnout has stayed about the same, 17%, since 1996 because more people of every age have voted. However, youth turnout has grown, from 37% in 1996, to 41% in 2000, to 47% in 2004.
The Democratic presidential candidate's share of the youth vote (based on exit polls) vs. the Democrat's share of the total popular vote has been:
Youth Overall
1976 51% 50%
1980 44% 41%
1984 40% 40.4%
1988 47% 45.5%
1992 43% 42.9%
1996 53% 49.2%
2000 48% 48.3%
2004 54% 48.1%