Graying of Washington's electorate

Fresh numbers from the Washington Elections Division show the number of younger voters dropping as a percentage of the electorate – and their elders, 55 and older, growing as a bloc. The state has nearly 3.6 million registered voters. The closely watched youngest voters have traditionally the lowest voter turnout rate of all segments of the population – a perplexing reality that keeps election outreach workers searching for ways to connect. The new figures show that the pool of 18-to 24-year olds eligible for this week's election was 9 percent of the total electorate, shrinking from 10 percent last year. The segments between 25 and 54 were little changed. But the older voters, 55 and older, grew as a share of the overall electorate. Here's the grid provided by Elections' David Motz, our registration whiz:

Age Bracket	% of November '08's WA electorate	% of November '09's WA electorate
18-24 yrs old	10.0	9.0
25-34 yrs old	15.4	15.4
35-44 yrs old	17.2	16.9
45-54 yrs old	20.9	20.7
55-64 yrs old	18.2	18.9
65 yrs and older	18.3	19.1
	100.0	100.0

Source: WA Voter Registration Database After this year's election is certified next month, we'll be able to find out the turnout by age bracket. Last year, 18-24-year olds had a 68 percent turnout and each age segment had a progressively better rate, including an amazing 91 percent participation by folks 55 and older!