Black Turnout and Registration in Majority-Minority Districts
A Quantitative Study of the Impact of Race on Political Participation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v10i1.1337Keywords:
Black Voter Registration, Black Turnout, Majority-Minority DistrictsAbstract
Understanding what can incentivize the entire and minority populations to participate in politics
is important to understand voting patterns. To answer this question, this study focuses on
whether race has an impact on voter registration and turnout. This study sought to determine
whether moving from a majority-White to a majority-Black district will increase turnout and
registration among the general population as well as the Black population. Utilizing ten-year
legislative reapportionment, this study compares the percent voter registration and percent
turnout both before and after the 2012 round of redistricting in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and South Carolina. Results indicated that co-racial incumbents have the ability to
motivate increased voter registration among the total and Black population. Turnout results were
much less straightforward, indicating that there are other factors that impact turnout than the race
of the incumbent. Thus, it appears the creation of majority-Black districts has a greater impact
than just the ability to elect more Black representatives.
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