Who voted for Trump? The Republican’s supporters by age, sex and race

Donald Trump is on his way to the White House. The distribution of votes across the country is expected to remain close. At this hour, The New York Times predicts that the real estate magnate will win by a narrow margin of just one point over Kamala Harris. However, the turnout of certain voter groups has proven to be decisive.

To analyze shifts in voting behavior, we have utilized CNN’s exit polls, focusing on changes in the preferences of approximately 20 key voter groups.

Trump makes notable gains among women and young people

Kamala Harris won the female vote, but by a smaller margin than in 2020. Trump, who was 15 points behind Joe Biden four years ago, is believed to have cut his lead by 5 points in this election.

Another traditionally Democratic-leaning group where Harris has lost momentum is the younger generation. In 2020, Biden secured their support with a 24-point lead. This year, however, Harris’ advantage has narrowed to just 13 points.

Trump also received more support among voters aged 45 to 64. In contrast, Harris has made gains only among older generations, possibly bolstered by the so-called Vietnam generation, a traditionally Democratic-leaning group that now falls within this age bracket.

Trump’s progress among young voters is particularly notable, with gains of approximately nine points among both young men and women. This trend stands in contrast to patterns seen in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Spain, where the growth of right-wing and far-right support among younger demographics has been more concentrated among men.

Latinos turn to Trump

One of the major stories of the results is the significant surge in support for Trump among Latino voters. Trump nearly erased the Democratic advantage in this group, narrowing the gap from 33 points to just 8.

Trump’s gains among Latino voters have been particularly pronounced among men. While Biden secured 59% of the vote from this group four years ago, Trump has now overtaken Harris, leading by 10 points.

Harris managed to maintain her support among Black voters, despite earlier polls suggesting a significant Republican shift in this group.

Trump still dominates among voters without a college degree

A key constituency for Trump due to its size — 57% of the census — has been voters without a college degree. The Republican has gone from a 2-point lead to an 8-point lead in this group.

Trump once again dominated among non-college-educated white voters. In 2020, he led this group by 35 points, and in 2024, he maintained a strong lead of 31 points. While the poll indicates that Harris may have slightly narrowed this gap, it was not enough to secure the three crucial Rust Belt states, where non-college-educated white voters are particularly prevalent.

Trump gains support among the lowest income brackets

Reflecting the trends in the previous graph, Trump has made significant strides among lower income groups, increasing his support by 12 points among those earning less than $50,000 per year and 17 points among those earning between $50,000 and $100,000. In both of these groups, he has effectively erased the Democrats’ advantage and has slightly overtaken them.

The opposite shift has occurred among those with the highest incomes of over $100,000. In 2016, this group overwhelmingly supported Trump, giving him a 12-point lead over Biden. This year, however, Harris has managed to reverse that advantage, increasing her support by 20 points

Republicans widen rural lead, flip suburbs

Trump won, albeit by a narrow margin, in the suburban areas, where half of Americans reside. Additionally, the Republican candidate has expanded his lead in rural regions, where he now holds a 27-point advantage over Harris.

Trump makes decisive gains among independents

Voters who do not identify with any political party have shifted from favoring Democrats by 13 points to a narrower margin of just 5 points. This group is particularly significant due to its size — comprising one in three voters — and its tendency to change support between elections. Additionally, it is likely that among the independents who back Trump, there has been a higher level of mobilization this time around.

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