Top News Stories: #1 Election 2012

Ron Recinto
U.S. President Barack Obama celebrates on stage as confetti falls after his victory speech during his election rally in Chicago, November 6, 2012. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

The 2012 election—the most searched news topic on Yahoo!—dominated news coverage and online conversation this year. Voters may have complained about the negative campaigning, but they heavily followed local, state and national races. On Nov. 6, citizens set their own records: The "youth" vote (ages 18 to 29) turned out in the same numbers as in 2008, in higher proportion than seniors, and may have helped to decide the election in swing states. The gender gap was the greatest in history. More Latinos than ever before registered, Across the nation, early voting surged. President Barack Obama beat Republican challenger Mitt Romney to win a second term, winning 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206.