Older voters helped propel Republicans to sweeping victories Tuesday in Senate and gubernatorial races nationwide, according to exit polls from NBC News.

The disparity between the under-30 and over-60 was the widest it’s been in a decade, those polls found. The seniors comprised 37 percent of the electorate; young people made up 12 percent.



Image via NBC News.

That was even more extreme than 2010, another great Republican year, when the split was 32 percent over 60 and 12 percent under 30.

That analysis rang true for those supporting Democrats in key battleground states on Election Day. One source familiar with the Colorado Senate race told TPM on Tuesday that youth turnout there had been “pathetic.”