Thanks in large part to enthusiasm about Senator Obama's candidacy and efforts by the Obama campaign (particularly in Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia), African-Americans make up a significantly larger percentage of the registered voters in southern states than they did last year, in 2004 or 2000.
Of the 11 former Confederate states, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina make available voter registration statistics by race (Florida's most recent numbers are not yet available):
However, in the other 5 states, percentages and numbers have soared.
2000 2004 2006 2007 2008
Alabama: 23.48% 23.97% 24.30% 24.36% 25.17%
Georgia: 25.42% 27.35% 27.12% 27.12% 29.23%
Louisiana: 28.94% 29.70% 29.82% 29.85% 30.42%
North Carolina: 19.12% 20.16% 20.07% 20.13% 21.14%
South Carolina: 27.46% 28.48% 28.63% 29.41%
Of course, traditionally, black turnout has lagged behind black percentages of registered voters, and this year, it may equal or even exceed that of white voters
