Story highlights South Carolina Democrats voted Saturday for their presidential primary pick

In 2008, 55% of voters were black, but now African Americans made up more than six in 10 voters

Washington (CNN) African-American voters are making up a larger portion of the South Carolina Democratic primary electorate than they did in 2008, and a larger percentage voted for Hillary Clinton than voted for President Barack Obama in 2008, according to exit polls conducted Saturday.

In 2008, 55% of voters were black, but now African-Americans made up 61% of voters. In 2008, 78% of black voters went with Obama and 19% backed Clinton, according to exit polls at the time. But this time, 84% of black voters went for Clinton and 16% went for Sanders .

Sanders won New Hampshire with strong support of white voters, who made up 93% of the electorate there. But white voters only made up 35% of voters in South Carolina on Saturday, according to the polls, and Clinton beat him with that group 54%-46%.

Democratic voters also said the economy was the most important issue facing the country, with 44% selecting it, compared with 35% of Democrats in Nevada and 33% in New Hampshire who said it was the most important. Half of South Carolinians voting Saturday said they are very worried about the direction of the nation's economy, while just 29% of voters in New Hampshire agreed.

Moderate to conservative Democrats also made up a larger portion of the electorate in South Carolina than in previous states, according to exit polls, with 46% of voters identifying that way. Only 32% of Democrats in Iowa and 30% in Nevada identified as moderate to conservative.

Read More