The 2024 election saw some big shifts in how the generations voted, early exit poll data suggested.
Democrats lost a lot of ground with Gen Z, while Republicans won Gen X by a much wider margin than in 2020. Meanwhile, millennials had a much smaller rightward shift, and boomers were actually more likely to vote Democratic than four years ago.
The results challenge some long-held stereotypes about generations’ political positions. For example, the presumed progressive Gen Zers showed more conservative leanings this election than the last, and aging boomers shirked the notion that they’re growing more conservative with age.
To be sure, early exit poll data has a wide margin of error. As more votes are counted in the coming days and months, more precise data on the shape of the 2024 electorate will be released.
The youngest voters and those entering middle age tacked hard to the right. Gen X — which slightly favored president-elect Donald Trump with a one-point margin …