The Story:
Part 1: Voters aged 60+ are the big, important demographic for Democrats.
A great deal of attention is paid to the “youth vote.” Young people bask in the illusion that they’re the most important age demographic, when, in fact, the opposite is true.
Voters over 60 are a much larger segment of the electorate than voters under 35. The numbers aren't even close. Also, a much higher percentage of seniors vote than younger voters.
As the table below shows, there are about 11 million more citizens over the age of 60 than under the age of 35, and much higher percentages of them vote (74% compared to 53%).
So about 22 million more citizens over age 60 voted in the 2024 election than citizens under 35.
Fewer than half of Americans aged 18 to 24 voted. This is consistent with most past national elections. Creating policies to cater to them is a low-rate-of-return investment. Working to win 60-plus voters is a high-rate-of-return investment.