Michigan Exit Poll Results: How Bernie Sanders Beat Hillary Clinton

/ Updated

By NBC News Exit Poll Desk

Bernie Sanders scooted past Hillary Clinton Tuesday to narrowly win the Michigan Democratic primary, NBC News projected.

According to the NBC News Exit Poll, younger voters -- those ages 18 to 29 -- represented 19 percent of the Michigan electorate, and 81 percent of them voted for Sanders. The Vermont senator also expanded that base of younger voters by winning with 53 percent of those between the ages of 30 and 44.

White voters also advanced Sanders to a victory in Michigan, with overall support from 56 percent of whites that included 62 percent of white men and 51 percent of white women.

Independents were another key group of support for Sanders, with 71 percent casting votes for him. Moreover, among the 28 percent of Democrats who consider honesty and trustworthiness the candidate quality that mattered most in their choice, eight in 10 voted for Sanders.

NBC News Exit Poll Desk

The NBC News Exit Poll Desk includes Stephanie Psyllos, Associate Manager of Exit Polling, NBC News; Allison Kopicki, Director of Research for University of Pennsylvania’s Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies; Patrick Murray, Director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute; Maureen Michaels, president of Michaels Opinion Research Inc.; Hannah Hartig, Assistant Director, University of Pennsylvania’s Program on Opinion Research and Election Studies; and Jennifer Su, Senior Project Director, Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The Exit Poll Desk works closely with editor David Taintor to curate the stories we produce.