White voter registration in Ga. dips below 60 percent

For the first time, white voters in Georgia will make up less than 60 percent of all “active” registered voters in the state, according to statistics just released by Secretary of State Brian Kemp.

White voter registration, which stood at 63 percent in 2008, has dropped to 59 percent of the 5.3 million signed up to cast ballots in this year’s presidential contest. African-American registration stands at 30 percent, just as it did in 2008.

The difference comes from the growing pool of voters who decline to identify themselves by race, or describe themselves as something other than white, black, Asian-Pacific, Hispanic-Latino, or Native American. That group grew from 3.6 percent in 2008 to 8 percent today.

The decline of the white vote in Georgia has been slow but steady. In January 2001, whites made up 72 percent of registered voters; in January 2007, they were 67 percent. Blacks in 2001 made up 26 percent of the electorate, and 27 percent in 2007.

As a whole, the number of registered voters is up 3 percent over 2008, when it stood at 5,198,971 . Here’s a demographic breakdown of the Georgia voters eligible to pick the next president, vote on a proposed constitutional amendment on charter schools, and elect two members of the Public Service Commission next Tuesday:

– Black female: 946,510

– Black male: 658,870

Combined black vote: 1,605,380 (30 percent of registered vote) (30 percent in October 2008)

– White female: 1,683,715

– White male: 1,484,820

Combined white vote: 3,168,535 (59 percent) (63 percent in 2008)

– Asia-Pacific female: 37,840

– Asia-Pacific male: 34,504

Combined Asia-Pacific vote: 72,344 (1.3 percent)

– Hispanic-Latino female: 49,934

– Hispanic-Latino male: 41,786

Combined Hispanic-Latino vote: 91,720 (1.7 percent) (1.4 percent in 2008)

– Native American female: 1,056

– Native American male: 841

Combined Native American vote: 1,897 (.03 percent)

Other voters: 413,137 (8 percent) (3.6 percent in 2008)

Total: 5,353,013 (up 3 percent over 2008)

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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