A look at the changing makeup of US electorate
A breakdown of how different demographic groups voted in 2000 vs. 2012
FILE - This Nov. 6, 2012 file photo shows voters in the Weston Ranch area of Stockton, Calif. It's not just the economy. It's the demographics _ the changing face of America. The 2012 elections drove home trends that have been embedded in the fine print of birth and death rates, immigration statistics and census charts for years. America is rapidly getting more diverse. And, more gradually, so is its electorate. Non-whites made up 28 percent of the electorate this year, up from 21 percent in 2000, and much of that growth is coming from Hispanics. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
A look at how much various demographic groups' share of the vote has changed since 2000, the year Republican George W. Bush defeated Democrat Al Gore, who narrowly carried the popular vote but lost the Electoral College:
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HISPANICS
17 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 7 percent
How they voted for president:
Gore: 62 percent
Bush: 35 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 10 percent (up 3 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Obama: 71 percent
Romney: 27 percent
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BLACKS
12 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 10 percent
How they voted for president:
Gore: 90 percent
Bush: 9 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 13 percent (up 3 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Obama: 93 percent
Romney: 6 percent
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WHITES
63 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 81 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 54 percent
Gore: 42 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 72 percent (down 9 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 59 percent
Obama: 39 percent
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SINGLE WOMEN
26 percent of U.S. population age 15 and older
Share of 2000 vote: 19 percent
How they voted for president:
Gore: 63 percent
Bush: 33 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 23 percent (up 4 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Obama: 67 percent
Romney: 31 percent
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MARRIED WOMEN
25 percent of U.S. population age 15 and over
Share of 2000 vote: 33 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 49 percent
Gore: 48 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 31 percent (down 2 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 53 percent
Obama: 46 percent
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WHITE MEN
31 percent of U.S. population
Share of 2000 vote: 38 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 60 percent
Gore: 36 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 34 percent (down 4 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 62 percent
Obama: 35 percent
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WHITES WITHOUT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE DEGREES
46 percent of U.S. population age 25 and older
Share of 2000 vote: 46 percent
How they voted for president:
Bush: 57 percent
Gore: 40 percent
Share of 2012 vote: 36 percent (down 10 percentage points)
How they voted for president:
Romney: 62 percent
Obama: 36 percent
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2011 statistics. Exit polls conducted for The Associated Press.
