Report On the Implications for Minority Voter Opportunities if Corrected Census Data Had Been Used For The Post-1990 Redistricting: States With The Largest Numerical Undercount

Prepared For

U.S. Census Monitoring Board

By

Allan J. Lichtman, Chair
Department of History
American University
Washington, DC 20016
January 2001

Objectives of the Study

This report considers whether the use of corrected census data in the post-1990 redistricting, as opposed to the uncorrected data actually used for that redistricting cycle, would have had the potential to expand the opportunities for minority voters to participate fully in the political process and elect candidates of their choice.¹ Corrected data refers to population counts corrected through scientific sampling for the undercounting of population groups. The Census Bureau released such corrected data, partitioned to the block level, after states completed the post-1990 redistricting process. This analysis examines ten states with the largest numerical difference between uncorrected and corrected population, according to census reports.² This difference is termed the net undercount. Henceforth, the general term undercount will refer to the net undercount. The ten states and their undercounts for the total population and whites and minorities are listed in Table 1 below. Table 2 reports differences in the white and minority composition of the total uncorrected population and of the undercount.

Presidential Members