maryland

Update: I've added CIRCLE's results for Maryland.

The results are in from yesterday's Potomac Primary:

In Virginia, young voters made up 14% of the Democratic electorate, up from 8% in 2004. Young voters chose Obama 76 to 24 percent. According to CIRCLE (pdf), 187,682 young voters went to the polls yesterday (Democrat and Republican), a turnout rate of 16%. Turnout for the entire electorate was 26%.

Continuing the trend in turnout, far more young people participated in the Democratic than Republican primary. Youth turnout for Democrats was 134,968, almost triple the 52,714 young voters who participated in the GOP primary. Once again, Republican voters also chose Mike Huckabeee as their candidate, 45 - 39 over John McCain.

In Maryland, the youth vote was 14% of the total Democratic share of the electorate, also up from 8% in 2004. They chose Obama 64 percent to 33 percent. According to CIRCLE (pdf), 137,997 17 - 29 year olds participated in yesterday's primaries, and the youth turnout rate increased to 15 percent, up from 11 percent in 2000.

More than triple the amount of young voters participated in the Democratic Primary as the GOP primary. There were 104,260 18 - 29 year olds who cast their ballot in the Democratic contest compared to just 3,737 for the GOP.

Also of note in Maryland is that progressive netroots candidate Donna Edwards won her primary challenge against incumbent Al Wynn. As Chris Bowers notes over at Open Left:

Huge night for progressive movement: With every precinct coming in with at least a 10% improvement for Edwards over 2006, let me reiterate this point: the new primary voters who are coming out for Barack Obama are also going to result in the first progressive displacement of a centrist, corporate, congressional Democrat via a primary in years. This it it. This is what we have been working for and building for. This is our emerging majority. We finally have the organization, and the voters, and the whole ball of wax. The movement has thoroughly come of age.

Young voters played a part in that.

Two states and our nation's capital all head to the polls today to cast their ballot for the Democratic nominee. Here's the baseline for each state, courtesy of CIRCLE:

Washington D.C.: (pdf)

Youth Population: 99,440
Youth Share of Population: 25%
White Youth: 44%
Black non-Hispanic: 48%
College Student: 19%

Maryland: (pdf)

Youth Population: 804,880
Youth Population Share: 21%
2004 Share of the Electorate: 8%
White Youth: 54%
Black non-Hispanic: 36%
Other: 9%
College Student: 24%

Virginia: (pdf)

Youth Population: 1,057,799
Youth Population Share: 20%
2004 Share of the Electorate: 8%
White Youth: 67%
Black non-Hispanic Youth: 24%
Other: 9%
College Student 18%