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The 2008 election saw continued movement of young voters into the Democratic fold in what the Pew Research Center called "a significant generational shift in political allegiance." Sixty-six percent of voters under 30 backed Barack Obama, although their votes were not crucial to his victory.

Pew says that these voters identify with the Democrats over Republicans by 45 percent to 26 percent compared to a nearly even split in 2000. As a group, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than older voters and more inclined to support activist government, opposition to the war in Iraq and to oppose social conservatism.

The Pew analysis of exit polls said that without the young vote, Obama would have lost Indiana and North Carolina but still would have won the election.