Voting rate fell last Nov.; older whites cited

WASHINGTON - For all the attention generated by Barack Obama's candidacy, the share of eligible voters who cast ballots in November declined for the first time in a dozen years. The reason: Older whites with little interest in backing either Obama or John McCain stayed home.

Census figures released yesterday show that 63.6 percent of all U.S. citizens ages 18 and older, or 131.1 million people, voted in November.

Although that was an increase of five million voters - virtually all of them minorities - the turnout relative to the population of eligible voters was down from 63.8 percent in 2004.

Pennsylvania and Ohio were among those showing declines in white voters.

"While the significance of minority votes for Obama is clearly key, it cannot be overlooked that reduced white support for a Republican candidate allowed minorities to tip the balance in many slow-growing 'purple' states," William H. Frey, a demographer for the Brookings Institution, said, meaning battleground states that do not notably tilt Democrat or Republican.

According to census data, 66 percent of whites voted in November, down 1 percentage point from 2004. Blacks increased their turnout by 5 points to 65 percent. Hispanics improved turnout by 3 points, and Asians by 3.5 points, each reaching a turnout of nearly 50 percent. In all, minorities made up nearly 1 in 4 voters in 2008, the most diverse electorate ever.

In Pennsylvania, 62 percent of eligible voters, or 5.7 million people, voted in November, including 63 percent of whites and 64 percent of blacks. In New Jersey, 64 percent of eligible voters, or 3.6 million people, voted, including 67 percent of whites and 62 percent of blacks.

Among whites 45 and older, turnout nationally fell by 1.5 points to just under 72 percent. Asked their reasons for not voting, 46 percent of all whites nationally said they did not like the candidates, were not interested, or had better things to do, up from 41 percent in 2004.