Who Are The Voters In Tuesday’s Five Primary States?

Voters in five states can determine on Tuesday which presidential candidates will continue to run and which ones might decide they have run out of time.

The primary season now turns to voters in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.

But who are they?

The Census Bureau helps us answer that question with a profile of the electorate in each of the five states, using data from the 2014 American Community Survey.

– Florida

Florida is the largest state by far, with a voting age population of 15.8 million. As the Census Bureau graphic illustrates, the state is roughly as diverse as the United States as a whole, though its Hispanic electorate is 7.4 percentage points greater.

Known as a haven for retirees, 23.9 percent of Florida’s electorate is 65 and over, compared to 18.9 percent nationally.

This might be the Sunshine State, but if Florida Sen. Marco Rubio doesn’t win his home state Republican primary, nighttime will fall on his campaign.

– Illinois

The electorate in Illinois closely mirrors national demographics in age, race, income and education. Illinois also is the most affluent of the five states voting Tuesday, with a median household income of $57,444, almost $3,800 more than the national figure. All of the other Tuesday primary states have lower household incomes than the United States as a whole and none other has a median household income over $50,000.

– Missouri

Notable in Missouri is an electorate that is considerably whiter and less Hispanic than the nation as a whole. About two-thirds of the American voting age population is white, compared to 83 percent in Missouri. The nation’s Hispanic electorate is almost five times greater than Missouri’s in percentage terms.

– North Carolina

Most notable in the North Carolina electorate is the large percentage of black voters. They are 21 percent of the state’s voting age population, compared to 12.5 percent nationally. This could be an important factor in the bid of former senator and ex-secretary of state Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

– Ohio

Ohio, like Florida, is another state that is key in presidential elections. It is the home state of Republican Gov. John Kasich and is a must-win for his lagging campaign. Compared to the nation, a much greater segment of Ohio’s electorate is white, more than 83 percent, and a much lower portion, less than 3 percent, is Hispanic.