Pew: Record For Minority Voters In 2008
From The New York Times ~ The longstanding gap between blacks and whites in voter participation evaporated in the presidential election last year, according to an analysis released Thursday. Black, Hispanic and Asian voters made up nearly a quarter of the electorate, setting a record.
The analysis, by the Pew Research Center, also found that for the first time, black women turned out at a higher rate than any other racial, ethnic and gender group.
The study attributed the findings to several factors beyond the obvious one: Barack Obama’s candidacy. For instance, the number of eligible Hispanic voters has soared by more than 21 percent since 2004, a reflection of population gains and growing numbers of Hispanics who are citizens. Their share of eligible voters increased to 9.5 percent, from 8.2 percent four years earlier. In 2008, for the first time, the share of white non-Hispanic eligible voters fell below 75 percent.
“What this report demonstrates is a pretty potent one-two punch of demographic change and behavioral change,” said Paul Taylor, executive vice president of the Pew Research Center. “The white share of the overall vote has been stepping down pretty steadily for 20 years.”
“In 2008 we obviously had a historic candidacy,” added Mr. Taylor, who was a co-author of the analysis. “That’s certainly a plausible explanation for the spike in African-American turnout. The question was, Would other minorities vote for this minority? Not only did he get a big vote, but he got a big turnout.”
The analysis, by Mr. Taylor and Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, was drawn from Census Bureau surveys of voter participation and was supplemented by a study from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.
Despite widespread predictions of record voter turnout last November, the overall rate was virtually the same as in 2004. But the composition of the electorate changed. The turnout among eligible whites declined slightly, by 1.1 percent, but rose by 4.9 percent among blacks.
In 2004, the gap between white and black turnout rates was nearly seven percentage points. It was less than one percentage point four years later.
Polls during the campaign found that young people in general and blacks in particular were the most energized by Mr. Obama’s candidacy.
The Pew analysis found that whites constituted 76.3 percent of the record 131 million Americans who voted last November. Blacks accounted for 12.1 percent, Hispanic voters for 7.4 percent and Asians for 2.5 percent.
Together, black, Hispanic and Asian voters made up 22 percent of the voters, compared with about 12 percent in 1988.
The analysis found that Southern states with large populations of black eligible voters recorded the greatest increase in turnout rates. In Mississippi, the rate increased by eight percentage points compared with 2004 — to 69.7 percent, from 61.7 percent.
Mr. Obama scored upsets in several Southern states. Those victories were attributed to the growing number of migrants from other parts of the country, younger voters and a surge in turnout among blacks.
The analysis, by the Pew Research Center, also found that for the first time, black women turned out at a higher rate than any other racial, ethnic and gender group.
The study attributed the findings to several factors beyond the obvious one: Barack Obama’s candidacy. For instance, the number of eligible Hispanic voters has soared by more than 21 percent since 2004, a reflection of population gains and growing numbers of Hispanics who are citizens. Their share of eligible voters increased to 9.5 percent, from 8.2 percent four years earlier. In 2008, for the first time, the share of white non-Hispanic eligible voters fell below 75 percent.
“What this report demonstrates is a pretty potent one-two punch of demographic change and behavioral change,” said Paul Taylor, executive vice president of the Pew Research Center. “The white share of the overall vote has been stepping down pretty steadily for 20 years.”
“In 2008 we obviously had a historic candidacy,” added Mr. Taylor, who was a co-author of the analysis. “That’s certainly a plausible explanation for the spike in African-American turnout. The question was, Would other minorities vote for this minority? Not only did he get a big vote, but he got a big turnout.”
The analysis, by Mr. Taylor and Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, was drawn from Census Bureau surveys of voter participation and was supplemented by a study from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.
Despite widespread predictions of record voter turnout last November, the overall rate was virtually the same as in 2004. But the composition of the electorate changed. The turnout among eligible whites declined slightly, by 1.1 percent, but rose by 4.9 percent among blacks.
In 2004, the gap between white and black turnout rates was nearly seven percentage points. It was less than one percentage point four years later.
Polls during the campaign found that young people in general and blacks in particular were the most energized by Mr. Obama’s candidacy.
The Pew analysis found that whites constituted 76.3 percent of the record 131 million Americans who voted last November. Blacks accounted for 12.1 percent, Hispanic voters for 7.4 percent and Asians for 2.5 percent.
Together, black, Hispanic and Asian voters made up 22 percent of the voters, compared with about 12 percent in 1988.
The analysis found that Southern states with large populations of black eligible voters recorded the greatest increase in turnout rates. In Mississippi, the rate increased by eight percentage points compared with 2004 — to 69.7 percent, from 61.7 percent.
Mr. Obama scored upsets in several Southern states. Those victories were attributed to the growing number of migrants from other parts of the country, younger voters and a surge in turnout among blacks.
Labels: 2008 Presidential Race, Barack Obama, Pew Research Center
posted by Mike McCarville @ 10:54 AM
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