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Voter turnout rates among black, Latino and Asian eligible voters were higher in 2008 than in 2004. White eligible voters still have the highest turnout rates overall, but in 2008 turnout
rates for whites fell slightly compared with 2004. Overall, the voter turnout rate among all eligible voters in 2008 was 63.6%.
Female eligible voters participated in the 2008 election at a higher rate than male eligible voters—65.7% versus 61.5%. Nearly 10 million more women voted than men.7 Overall, for the first
time, black female eligible voters cast ballots at the highest rate among all voters.
Voter participation among young people was higher in 2008 than in 2004—51.1% versus 49.0%. More than 2 million more young people ages 18 to 29 voted in 2008 than in 2004 (Kirby and
Kawashima-Ginsberg, 2009). Among young eligible voters, blacks had the highest turnout rate at 58.2%—a historic first.