A quick graph of the changes in recent electorates. I liked this post from Ezra Klein, but I wanted to see how much different the composition of the electorate was between a pretty successful Democratic midterm election as in 2006 and yesterday. The 2006 electorate was remarkably similar to the 2010 electorate at first glance of the CNN exit polls. Yesterday’s bunch was just a little older. Any discussions of enthusiasm gaps with respect to outcomes will have to contend with this similarity.

36% of the 2010 identified with the Democratic Party, in 2006 it was 38%. Republicans were 36% of both electorates. Self-identified liberals were 20% of both midterm electorates, but the percentage of conservatives did increase from 32 to 41%.

CNN Exit Polls: 2006, 2010, etc.

Also Brendan Nyhan’s first take is required reading.

UPDATE: via Nyhan, Gallup polling on ideological self-identification reveals that the 2010 midterm electorate was almost identical to current public opinion more broadly. In short, the percentage of Americans calling themselves conservative has increased since 2006.

UPDATE 2: via John Sides, Gary Segura and Matt Barreto argue that minorities and Latinos in particular are being under counted in the 2010 exit polls.