The map that shows how polarised the U.S really is: How the election results would have looked if only white men were allowed to vote

There were a fair few grumbles among Americans as the election approached - but none, thankfully, about the fact women or ethnic minorities were unable to vote.



Turn back the clocks 150 years, and it would have been a very different story, with the outcome of the election also greatly changed.



Buzzfeed has taken this year's exit polls for gender, colour and age, and compiled maps showing whether the states would have turned blue or red before universal suffrage.



The maps interestingly reveal just how much Obama relied on the votes of America's women and ethnic minorities compared to the staggering percentage of white men who supported Romney.

What a difference a century makes: If only votes made by white men in this year's election were counted, as they were in 1850, the Republicans would have enjoyed a landslide victory - only losing out on five states

In 1850, only white men could vote. One map reveals how, if Tuesday's election was solely judged on the votes from white men, Romney would have enjoyed a landslide victory.

Only Oregon, Washington, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont would be blue, with Romney securing a staggering 501 electoral votes to Obama's 37.

By 1870 - until 1920 - voters expanded to all men, which would have shifted the results slightly - yet Romney would still have secured a winning 322 electoral votes.

By 1920, women were allowed to vote, yet there were still massive hurdles for minorities, so Buzzfeed drew a man showing only white men and women.

1870: Between 1870 and 1920, only men could vote; this map just considers male votes in 2012

1920: Ethnic minorities still faced massive hurdles to vote by 1920, so this map just considers white men and women - revealing just how Obama relied on votes from non-white men and women

A few extra states turn blue - Iowa, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware - but again, red dominates. Romney would have won 441 electoral votes compared to Obama's 97.

In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18 from 24; a map for 1970 only includes the votes made in 2012 by people older than 24.

Finally, Obama secures a win, with his 276 electoral votes just surpassing Romney's 262.

These can be compared to the actual election map, which shows the 332 electoral votes for Democrats and the 206 for Republicans.

While the central states remain largely red, the coastal and northeastern states are blue - revealing just how key women, ethnic minorities and voters under 24 were in securing Obama a second term.

1970: The voting age was lowered from 24 to 18 in 1971; this map only shows votes made by over 24s in this year's election, allowing Obama his first win among the maps

The real thing: This map shows the actual election results, showing how Obama relied on votes from women, ethnic minorities and young people - and how these outnumbered Romney's white men

Exit polls revealed that the percentage of votes by ethnic minorities has swelled since 2008, and the majority of these were won by Obama.

Seventy-one per cent of Hispanic voters, 73 per cent of Asian voters and a massive 93 per cent of African-American voters supported Obama.

But while his popularity among these groups swelled, he received just 39 per cent of white votes, down by four per cent on the last election, a drop his campaign had anticipated.

Romney secured 59 per cent of the white vote - the largest majority achieved by any presidential candidate in U.S. history who then failed to win.