(CNN)– National exit polling shows 53 percent of of the voters considered the U.S. Supreme Court an "important factor" in their vote Tuesday. Fifty-two percent of these voters supported Barack Obama, while 46 percent supported John McCain.

National exit polling shows 18 percent of today's voters were aged 18-29. While that 's up sharply from this age group's 12 percent turnout for the 2006 election, its exactly the same as the percentage of 18-29 year olds as in the 2004 and 2000 presidential elections.

Seventeen percent of the voters in 1996 were 18-29 year olds and in 1992, the number was 21 percent. That means, if today's trend holds, candidate Bill Clinton will have turned-out a larger percentage of young voters in 1992 than Barack Obama did this year. In Ronald Reagan's re-election year of 1984, 24 percent of the voters were 18-29. When Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, a full 29 percent of the voters were 18-29.

Among this year's 18-29 year olds, exit polling shows 66 percent voted for Obama and 31 percent for McCain

(CNN)–Exit polling shows ninety-five percent of today's voters in Michigan feel the national economy is "not so good" or "poor." They voted for Barak Obama by a margin of 60 percent to 37 percent. Only 4 percent of today's voters in Michigan think the national economy is in good shape. They went 79 percent for McCain. The "excellent" category for the national economy got a zero percent response in Michigan.

Eighty-eight percent of Michigan's voters said the job situation in their area is "worse today." They went for Obama 62 percent to 36 percent. Only 10 percent called it "about the same." Sixty-six percent of these Michigan voters cast ballots for McCain

(CNN) – Barack Obama can thank Colorado's Latino voters for his victory in the state.

White voters in Colorado — who made up 80 percent of the electorate — evenly split their votes between Barack Obama and John McCain, 49 percent each, exit polls from Tuesday's presidential race show.

But the Latinos, who made up 13 percent of the electorate, went 2-to-1 for Obama — 64 percent to 34 percent.

Men made up 48 percent of Colorado's electorate. Exit polling also showed them splitting evenly between McCain and Obama at 49 percent each. And women, who made up 52 percent of Colorado's voters, went for Obama by 56 percent to 42 percent.

Diane Padolsky flashes a thumbs-up to a passing motorist in rural Colorado.

(CNN) — White voters in Colorado — who made up 80 percent of the electorate — evenly split their votes between Barack Obama and John McCain, 49 percent each, exit polls from Tuesday's presidential race show. Latino voters made up 13 percent of the electorate, and they went 2-to-1 for Obama — 64 percent to 32 percent.

Men made up 48 percent of Colorado's electorate. Exit polling also shows them splitting evenly between McCain and Obama at 49 percent each. And women, who made up 52 percent of Colorado's voters, went for Obama by 56 percent to 42 percent.

Obama supporters react to news that he is the projected to be the next president.

(CNN) — American voters — who elected Barack Obama president tonight — made their choice with a mixture of excitement and tempered optimism. Among the electorate as a whole, 30 percent indicated they would be excited if Obama won the election while 24 percent said they would be optimistic but not excited. Reflective of the election results, only 14 percent said they would be excited if McCain were elected and 32 percent optimistic.

Negative feelings and expectations are also held toward both candidates. Twenty-five percent reported they would be scared if Obama were elected and 20 percent concerned but not scared. With respect to McCain, 28 percent said they would be scared and 25 percent concerned.

McCain-Palin signs line a row of homes in Philadelphia Tuesday.

John McCain lost Pennsylvania because his campaign strategy in the state did not play out as planned:

1) McCain counted on older voters; Obama carried voters 65-and-above by a 51 percent to 48 percent margin. (Nationally, only 44 percent of the 65-plus age group counted thus far reports voting for Obama.)

2) McCain counted on working class white voters. Obama won whites with incomes under under $50,000 by a 52 percent to 47 percent margin. (Nationally, Obama is carrying 48 percent of this group.)

3) McCain also counted on drawing Pennsylvania voters who supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. Obama won 81 percent of Pennsylvania Democrats who preferred Hillary Clinton in the primary (Nationally, the figure is 85 percent).

(CNN) – Among voters surveyed today, a bare majority — 51 percent — think the government should do more to solve problems. Forty-three percent believe the government is doing too much.

At the same time, early exit polling shows only a minority of voters — 40 percent — support the $700 billion government plan to assist failing financial companies. Fifty-six percent are opposed.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).

(CNN) – Remember the exit polls during the Bush-Kerry race?

Ask President Kerry how much faith we should put on exit polls.

Point: If the exit polls are as wrong this year as they were four years ago, we might expect to see a closer race in some battleground states than people suspect. May not be enough to turn the electoral map upside down, but stay tuned.

(CNN) — The first exit polls out Tuesday reflect what voters have said all along: The economy is by far the top issue on their minds.

Sixty-two percent of voters said the economy was the most important issue. Iraq was the most important for 10 percent, and terrorism and health care were each the top issue for 9 percent of voters.

The economy has dominated the last leg of the campaign trail as Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain have tried to convince voters that they are the best candidate to handle the financial crisis.

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton has made her vast experience a central theme of her campaign – and among those voters who said that was the top quality they were looking for in a presidential candidate, she was the undisputed choice in tonight’s exit polls: they chose her over Barack Obama by 93 to 7 percent in South Dakota, and 94 to 4 percent in Montana.

Barack Obama, meanwhile, has built his run around the need for change – and won large majorities of voters who said that was the most important quality in a potential commander-in-chief, beating Clinton by 67 to 33 percent among those voters in South Dakota, and 79 to 17 percent in Montana.

But even though they split tonight’s contests, it’s clear the advantage in this area was Obama’s: one in five voters in both states said experience was of paramount importance, but half of South Dakota’s voters, and 55 percent of Montana’s, said the ability to bring about change was essential in a candidate.

In Montana, voters who said having a president who cares about people was their priority split their votes almost evenly between the two candidates: Clinton had a 47 to 43 percent edge. But in South Dakota, which Clinton won, a significant majority of those voters – 60 percent – gave her the edge.

Former President Bill Clinton spent a lot of time in the state in the days leading up to Tuesday’s vote telling voters that his wife “cares about people like you.” It looks like that message sunk in.

(CNN) – South Dakota may have gone solidly for Hillary Clinton – but there’s a clue buried in the exit polls that suggests the healing process in the Democratic Party may already be underway.

A significant majority of voters – roughly seven in 10 – said both Democratic candidates were honest and trustworthy. It’s the final night of the primary season – but the first time that has happened since voting began in Iowa five months ago.

It may also be one sign that primary voters who did not support Barack Obama the first time around may be willing to believe the best about the Illinois senator heading into November.

55 percent of South Dakota democrats would like to see Clinton as Obama’s running mate.

(CNN) – The hard-fought Democratic primary race is winding down, but the veepstakes are just starting to heat up. Do voters in the year’s final contests think Barack Obama – just a handful of delegates away from claiming the party’s presidential nomination – should pick rival Hillary Clinton as his running mate?

South Dakota’s Democrats seem to like the idea; according to early exit polls, 55 of them think Clinton should be on the ticket this fall, while 41 percent do not.

But the state’s Obama voters give the idea a thumbs-down: 56 percent say Obama should not offer Clinton the vice presidential slot, versus 40 percent that do.

Montana’s Democratic primary voters are more divided: nearly half, 49 percent, think Clinton should join Obama on a joint ticket – but 45 percent do not.

Voters in the last two states, Montana and South Dakota, wrapped up the grueling coast-to-coast Democratic nominating marathon.

(CNN) — Two very white, working-class Western states. But look closer: there are some very real differences between the two sets of Democratic primary voters in tonight’s final primary contests.

South Dakota’s primary was closed, only registered Democrats were allowed to weigh in. But roughly one in three primary voters in Montana are independent – and that group is heavily supporting Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton may have had an easier time winning over the party’s base — but Obama’s campaign will be counting on his ability to go toe-to-toe with John McCain over independent voters

(CNN) – The youngest and oldest voters in South Dakota’s Democratic primary overwhelmingly support their candidate – but as in many contests this primary season, both groups have landed on opposite sides of the Democratic divide, according to early exit polls.

The youngest voters, those aged 18-29, supported Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton, 65 to 35 percent. Voters 65 and older had the exact same level of support for Clinton, voting for her 65-35 percent over Obama.

It’s a problem that’s plagued Obama all year: how to make his case to seniors, who have been critical to Democratic presidential hopes in past campaigns. Can he win them over by November?

It is still not clear whether Clinton supporters are likely to throw their support to Obama.

(CNN) — Will angry Hillary Clinton supporters take their disappointment out at the polls this November by voting for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain over Barack Obama, or staying home altogether?

Roughly three out of five Clinton’s South Dakota supporters said they’d vote for Obama this fall, in early exit polls. Sixteen percent said they’d vote for McCain; roughly the same number, 17 percent, said they’d stay home altogether.

Among all Democratic primary voters in South Dakota, 55 percent said the party had been energized by the long primary season; 39 percent said it had had the opposite effect.

The tough primary slog may have taken a toll on party unity – is it temporary, or will it cost Democrats dearly this fall? Time will tell.

UPDATE: One more quick note: Clinton’s Montana voters were even more leery of Obama — one in four said they’d vote for presumptive Republican nominee John McCain this fall. And just over half in both states said they were not pleased with the party’s evident presidential pick.

Obama has his work cut out for him – and the level of Hillary Clinton’s support for him will be the big variable in this election-year equation.

(CNN) — In South Dakota, domestic-minded Democratic primary voters had a different pick than their foreign-policy focused peers.

Voters who said their top concern was the state of the nation’s economy voted for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, 58 to 42 percent. But those who said the war in Iraq was their No. 1 concern supported Obama over Clinton by an even wider margin: 61-39 percent.

Obama’s early opposition to the Iraq war has made him the top pick for voters most worried about that conflict – but are international concerns taking a back seat to economic woes?

A woman casts her ballot in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

(CNN) — We've talked all season about Barack Obama's problem with those white working class voters, those blue collar voters. Is that problem persisting?

Yes, it is. South Dakota’s Democratic primary voters with no college degree voted as their peers in previous contests had: for Hillary Clinton over Obama, 60-40 percent. Meanwhile, well-educated, white collar voters continue to back the Illinois senator. Take a look at college graduates in the state: they voted for Obama, 53 to 47 percent.

The effort to win over these working-class voters is just beginning for Obama – and it looks like he has his work cut out for him.

Sen. Hillary Clinton greets patrons Sunday at a San Juan, Puerto Rico, bakery.

(CNN) — It was a clean sweep for Hillary Clinton in Puerto Rico in every demographic group, even those groups that are usually firmly in Barack Obama's camp.

The Illinois senator usually wins among males, young voters, those who attended college, and those with higher incomes.

But in the Puerto Rico primary, Clinton won 70 percent of the male vote, 65 percent of voters under 30, 70 percent of voters who attended college, and 66 percent of voters with an income of over $50,000.

Clinton also performed strongly among those demographic groups that have long constituted the backbone of her base.

She won 70 percent of female voters, 77 percent of those over 65, 69 percent who did not attend college, and 71 percent of voters with an income of $15,000 or less.

(CNN) – CNN has projected that Hillary Clinton will win big in Puerto Rico. Why did she do so well there?

Two of the key reasons are her strong performance among those voters who favor statehood for Puerto Rico and her husband's popularity on the island.

According to CNN's exit polls, 60 percent of Puerto Ricans who participated in the primary favor statehood, and Clinton won 82 percent of those voters. Neither Clinton or Barack Obama have directly said they favor statehood for the island, but Clinton said earlier this week she thinks Puerto Ricans should be able to vote in the general election.

Bill Clinton's overwhelming popularity in Puerto Rico also gave the New York senator a boost. Just over 80 percent said they had a favorable view of the former president, and those voters went for Clinton by a 56 point margin, 78 percent to 22 percent. (Among the 15 percent who hold an unfavorable opinion of Bill Clinton, 76 percent voted for Obama.)