Maryland ranks third among the most politically engaged states for African Americans according to a new study.
The study done by personal finance website WalletHub looks at political engagement among African Americans across the country and assigns a weighted score for each state.
WalletHub compared the states across five metrics to determine level of political engagement among Black Americans. The metrics include voter turnout and voter registration in the last two major elections, and percentage of Black representatives in the state legislature.
Maryland’s Scores (1=Most Politically Engaged; 24=Avg.)
- Overall Rank: 3rd
- 1st – Black Voter Turnout (2020 Presidential Election)
- 6th – Black Voter Turnout (2022 Midterm Elections)
- 3rd – Black Voter Registration (2020 Presidential Election)
- 3rd – Black Voter Registration (2022 Midterm Elections)
- 25th – Proportional Representation of Black People in U.S. House of Representatives.
The researchers then utilized a weighted average across all metrics to calculate an overall score for each state. Scoring each state out of 100, Maryland received a total score of 72.42, just under Missouri’s score of 72.68. Pennsylvania ranked number one with a score of 75.87.
Data used to create this ranking was collected as of Jan. 17, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau and United States House of Representatives.
Visit WalletHub’s website for more information on the study.
