Black Voters more Likely to Have Their Votes Thrown out Library: LIF-SOC Keywords: ELECTION SPOILED BALLOT ELECTION DATA BLACK VOTERS Description: In the 2000 election, two million people who turned out to vote didn't get counted and a disproportionate number of those were black voters, according to a report, Democracy Spoiled, by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. The report shows that citizens' votes were much more likely to be spoiled if they lived in a predominantly black county.
Cambridge, Mass.-- In the 2000 election, two million people who turned out to vote didn't get counted and a disproportionate number of those were black voters, according to a report, Democracy Spoiled, by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University (CRP). The report shows that citizens' votes were much more likely to be spoiled if they lived in a predominantly black county.
"As the percentage of black citizens in a county increases, the spoiled ballot rate correspondingly increases," said Philip Klinkner, James S. Sherman Associate Professor of Government at Hamilton College, one of the report authors. "Similarly, as the percentage of white citizens in a county increases, the spoiled ballot rate correspondingly decreases."
Although Duval, Dade and Palm Beach counties in Florida had high percentages of spoiled ballots, so did Fulton and DeKalb counties in Georgia (6.77 and 4.51 percent respectively) and Bronx, Kings and Queens, New York (4.75, 3.98 and 3.53 percent) and Cook county, Illinois (6.18 percent.) Even if a state had overall low spoilage rates, it might also have serious problems in some of its counties.
Overall the researchers found national, state and local disparities in uncounted votes, or "spoiled ballots," in the 2000 election. The report shows that whether or not a vote is counted depends greatly on where it is cast, and ballot spoilage is a problem nationwide not just in the highly visible Florida presidential election. South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and Wyoming all had spoiled ballot rates higher than Florida and above the national average. The report was compiled by Christopher Edley Jr., co-director of CRP, Jocelyn Benson and Vesla Weaver, CRP research assistants, and Klinkner.
"There is a critical need for national, state, and local election reform that includes enforceable limits on spoilage levels," Edley said. "While the problem is serious, the solutions are simple. With little cost or effort, we can ensure that all Americans enjoy the benefits of democracy."
He said, "The new federal legislation provides helpful resource and minimum standards, but falls short of promising a solution to vote dilution through disparities in spoilage. The legislation fails to make states accountable for narrowing the disparities, and calls for further study of the problem. Some new provisions, such as provisional ballots and federal funding for equipment and training, provide needed tools for states that choose to act."
Democracy Spoiled is based upon data supplied by Election Data Services, Secretaries of State Election Divisions and local election authorities. Further data is being compiled to compare and rank state and county election administrations that performed best in 2002 and saw the most improvement since 2000.
Democracy Spoiled key findings:
Voters are not equally likely to have their vote count.
1. The percent of ballots cast that were not counted in the 2000 general election varied greatly by state, ranging from less than 1 percent in Maryland, Alabama, Louisiana and Minnesota to nearly 4 percent in Georgia and Illinois. 2. The nation's worst incidence of ballot spoilage occurred in several counties in the southern states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina. Additionally, 82 of the 100 counties with the worst spoilage rates are concentrated in those states. 3. The probability of having one's vote counted greatly depends not only on the state of residency, but what county a voter resides in. Spoilage rates in some of Florida's counties were as low as 0.27 percent and in others were as high as 12 percent. 4. Even within states that boasted low spoilage rates overall, county disparities still loomed. In Virginia, for example, county spoilage rates ranged from less than one percent to greater than 6 percent, and many counties had spoilage rates high above the state average.
Black voters are more likely to have their votes thrown out.
1. The report found that a citizen's vote was much more likely to be spoiled if they lived in a predominantly black county. Specifically, the data reveal that as the percentage of black citizens in a county increases, the spoiled ballot rate correspondingly increases. Similarly, as the percentage of white citizens in a county increases, the spoiled ballot rate correspondingly decreases. 2. Two-thirds of the 100 counties with the worst (highest) spoilage rates nationwide have black populations greater than 12 percent. 3. Of the top 100 counties with the best performance (lowest spoilage), the reverse is true - only 10 had significant black populations.
Media Contacts: Alison Harris, The Civil Rights Project, Harvard University, (617) 384-9398 or cell: (781) 424-3293 aharris at law.harvard.edu Sharon Rippey, Hamilton College, (315) 859-4680 srippey at hamilton.edu
Additional Expert Available for Interviews Angelo Ancheta, Director of Legal and Advocacy Programs for The Civil Rights Project.
Report, Executive Summary, and additional materials are posted: http://www.law.harvard.edu/civilrights/publications/voting/synopsis1.htm
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