In light of the presidential election, an exit poll analysis from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found Catholics contributed to President-elect Barack Obama's victory.

Catholics supported Obama over Sen. John McCain by a nine-point margin—54 percent to 45 percent —according to the analysis. However, four years ago Catholics favored Republican President George W. Bush over Democratic Sen. John Kerry by a five-point margin—52 percent to 47 percent.

Although the forum cannot provide precise figures, the analysis said early exit poll data suggests Obama was favored among Latino Catholics. The national exit polls showed more than two-thirds of Latino voters (67 percent) favored Obama over McCain, a 14-point Democratic increase compared to 2004 exit poll results.

Obama gained four points among white Catholics since 2004. Similar to 2004's election results, white Catholics favored the Republican candidate, but by a smaller margin (five-point Republican advantage in 2008 compared with a 13-point advantage in 2004), according to the Forum.

Catholics have typically swayed toward the Republican side on issues such as abortion, but this election, Obama took a fresh stance on the controversial issue, said Patrick Whelan, president of Catholic Democrats, a national organization.

"During his campaign, Obama said, 'nobody is pro-abortion,'" Whelan said. "He succeeded in articulating the abortion issue better than McCain."

While abortion still influenced the Catholic vote, the major economic collapse determined a large portion of Catholic votes, Whelan said.

Patty Marra, a sophomore in the College of Communication and practicing Catholic, said, "I thought about abortion, but for me it's such a highly disputed topic. It's hard to say that one candidate really has the right answer. I don't think any one person has the right answer, so abortion didn't decide my vote."

Marra said she was undecided in choosing between the two candidates until the morning of Nov. 4. Ultimately, Marra said she voted for Obama because of more confidence in his vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden. Issues of foreign relations and health care also influenced her vote, she said.

Steve Blaha, assistant director of Campus Ministry, said while voting, it was important for Catholics to consider all concerns for life: the unborn, the sick and the elderly.

"It's important to weigh which questions and issues have the greatest impact on life," Blaha said. "At the end of the day it is up to each Catholic to discern what is reality and how do I live out my faith in this context."

As much as the life of the unborn concerns Catholics, Catholics also must be attentive to the plight of the born, Blaha said.

The Democratic Party is more in touch with Catholic thinking, especially when considering issues such as helping the poor, said Whelan, who has been a lifelong Catholic Democrat.

"The best part of the election story was winning the Catholic vote," Whelan said. "Catholics are often conflicted with the church. The bishops tell them to vote one way. Their conscience tells them to vote another way."

Two weeks removed from the election, Marra said she hopes students and the youth will continue to be aware of and concerned about current issues.

"There seem to be some people who received a wake-up call," Marra said. "It's important to know what's going on in your country as well as the issues and where you stand."

Although the election is over, Catholics must continue to lead lives of faithful citizenship, Blaha said. Catholics should continue to educate themselves on issues and government bills, remain in contact with local legislators and connect with other citizens.

"We don't always have to choose between 'either or,'" he said. "No one party or candidate fully embraces Catholic social teaching."