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

State-by-State Analysis: Maryland

The 1990 undercount and its demographic composition

As indicated in Table 1, the percentage undercount of 2.1 percent in Maryland was higher than the national average of 1.6 percent and resulted in a net numerical undercount of 100,984 persons, ninth highest in the nation. For non-Hispanic whites, Table 1 indicates, the undercount percentage was 1.2 percent, as compared to 4.2 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 30 percent of the state's uncorrected population, compared to 60 percent of the state's undercounted population. In numerical terms, the undercount consisted of 40,183 non-Hispanic whites and 60,801 members of minority groups. In Maryland, minority group members are primarily non-Hispanic blacks. According to corrected data, 81 percent of minority group members in Maryland are non-Hispanic blacks, 9 percent are Hispanics, and 10 percent are members of other minority groups.

Implications of 1990 Census adjustment for minority voter opportunities

The use of corrected data in Maryland for the post-1990 redistricting would have had the potential to enhance minority voter opportunities in the plans drawn for the State Senate and State House. In the Maryland State Senate, the use of corrected data would have created an opportunity to draw an additional majority-minority district. State Senate District 20, located in Montgomery County in the post-1990 plan, includes a minority population of 48.2 percent. However, application of the corrected data for 1990 demonstrates that the population of this District is more accurately measured at 49.4 percent, close to the 50 percent mark. Moreover, the use of corrected data uncovers sufficient additional minority population in Montgomery County to have created the opportunity to draw District 20 with a majority-minority population. The use of corrected data in Montgomery County discloses an additional 14,147 persons, including 8,508 members of minority groups (60 percent). Given that Senate Districts in Montgomery County were all larger than the ideal district in the post-1990 redistricting, this increased population would have been sufficient to account for the increased population of an ideal Senate district resulting from the use of corrected rather than uncorrected Census data. The size of an ideal Senate District would increase from 101,733 to 103,882, for a net increase of 2,149 persons.

In addition, State Senate District 21, in Prince George's County in the post-1990 plan, has a minority population of 44.2 percent. The use of corrected data uncovers sufficient additional minority population in Prince George's County to have created the opportunity to draw District 21 with an enhanced majority-minority population. The use of corrected data in Prince George's County discloses an additional 22,327 persons, including 18,519 members of minority groups (83 percent). This increased population would have been more than sufficient to account for the increased population of an ideal Senate district resulting from the use of corrected rather than uncorrected Census data.

The use of corrected rather than uncorrected census data in Maryland would have had an even more substantial impact on State House districts. In the Maryland State House, District 22A in Prince Georges County (which elects two members of the State House) in the post-1990 redistricting plan has a minority population of 49.1 percent. However, application of the corrected data for 1990 demonstrates that the population of this District is more accurately measured at 50.2 percent. District 20, analyzed above, is not only a State Senate district, but also a three-member State House district as well. Likewise Senate District 21, also analyzed above, is a three-member State House district as well. Enhanced minority populations in these two districts would have affected both State Senate and State House elections in Maryland.

 

 CONTENTS: 

Introduction

Summary of Findings

California

Texas

Florida

Georgia

Virginia

North Carolina

Illinois

Maryland

New York

Louisiana

End Notes

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