Though Democrats and the Kerry campaign had hoped a groundswell among young and first time voters would give him the edge in the election, the AP reports, "This was not the breakout year for young voters that some had anticipated. Fewer than one in 10 voters Tuesday were 18 to 24, about the same proportion of the electorate as in 2000, exit polls indicated." First-time voters "made up about 10 percent of the electorate, about the same as in 2000, and they favored Kerry."

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