Election Graphics Show how OBAMA Won

Afrik Update

POLITICS
By Claudine Zap/The Ticket

     

   Red States are for Republican Mitt Romney,and blue for Democratic incumbent Barack Obama.Obama won even though the country appears mostly red.The blue area is smaller, but it represents the larger population of voters, which is what counts in an election

The presidential election is over, and now there are some cool tools to show just how Barack Obama won re-election.

One that's getting plenty of attention on the Web is a new take on a familiar image—maps.

The series of graphics show the election results illustrated by population, not geography.

Republicans were surprised by the win. Many had assumed—wrongly—that young people wouldn't come out as much as they did in 2008. The New York Times graph shows that not only did Obama nab young voters, but also that the numbers of young voters who voted for Obama actually increased from 2008.

While white male voters supported the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, Obama held his support with women, increased his support with Hispanic voters, and improved young voter turnout where it mattered: in the swing states.

For serious political junkies, another graphic from the New York Times shows lots of fun facts about how voter groups since 1972 have swayed election results.

For example, Romney got the "dad" vote, while Obama secured support from voters under 30.