Washington-area blacks and whites voted at about the same rate in 2012, while nationally African-Americans voted at a higher rate than whites for the first time since the U.S. Census began tracking voting by race in 1996, according to data released Wednesday.

About 67.2 percent of eligible blacks and 67.5 percent of eligible whites voted in Virginia in the 2012 presidential election, compared to 68.3 percent and 69.4 percent, respectively, in 2008. About 67.5 percent of eligible black Marylanders and 65.6 percent of eligible white Marylanders voted in 2012, both down from the previous presidential election.