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Presidential Members Report: Implications for Minority Voters in 2001 January, 2001 << Back to Introduction

State-by-State Analysis: Louisiana

The 1990 undercount and its demographic composition

As indicated in Table 1, the percentage undercount of 2.2 percent in Louisiana was higher than the national average of 1.6 percent and resulted in a net numerical undercount of 94,112 persons, tenth highest in the nation. For non-Hispanic whites, Table 1 indicates, the undercount percentage was 1.3 percent, as compared to 4.0 percent for members of minority groups. As indicated in Table 2 and the summary Chart below, these differentials between whites and minorities resulted in an undercounted population with a much greater minority group percentage than the state's total population. Minorities comprised 34 percent of the state's uncorrected population, compared to 61 percent of the state's undercounted population. In numerical terms, the undercount consisted of 36,725 non-Hispanic whites and 57,387 members of minority groups. In Louisiana, minority group members are primarily non-Hispanic blacks. According to corrected data, 89 percent of minority group members in Louisiana are non-Hispanic blacks, 7 percent are Hispanics, and 4 percent are members of other minority groups.

Implications of 1990 Census adjustment for minority voter opportunities

The use of corrected data in Louisiana for the post-1990 redistricting would have had the potential to enhance minority voter opportunities in the plans drawn for the State House. In the Louisiana State House, the use of corrected data would have increased the baseline of majority-minority districts. State House District 98, located in the New Orleans region in the post-1990 plan, includes a minority population of 49.4 percent. However, application of the corrected data for 1990 demonstrates that the population of this District is more accurately measured at 50.2 percent.

 

 CONTENTS: 

Introduction

Summary of Findings

California

Texas

Florida

Georgia

Virginia

North Carolina

Illinois

Maryland

New York

Louisiana

End Notes

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