Opinion ID: 1756463
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Racially Polarized Voting

Text: `[R]acial polarization' exists where there is `a consistent relationship between [the] race of the voter and the way in which the voter votes,' or to put it differently, where `black voters and white voters vote differently.' Gingles, 478 U.S. at 53 n. 21, 106 S.Ct. at 2768 n. 21 (citation omitted). The results of Florida's legislative elections over the past ten years establish the presence of this factor. Whites consistently elected whites when they constituted a majority within a district, and blacks elected blacks. Redistricting following the 1980 census took place in Florida in 1982. During subsequent years, blacks and Hispanics were elected to the following state legislative seats (listed in number of seats and percentage of total House and Senate seats): HOUSE (120 seats) Year Black seats Hispanic seats 1982-84 10 (8%) 3 (2.5%) 1984-86 10 (8%) 7 (6%) 1986-88 11 (9%) 7 (6%) 1988-90 10 (8%) 7 (6%) 1990-92 12 (10%) 7 (6%) SENATE (40 seats) Year Black seats Hispanic seats 1982-84 2 (5%) 0 (0%) 1984-86 2 (5%) 0 (0%) 1986-88 2 (5%) 0 (0%) 1988-90 2 (5%) 2 (5%) 1990-92 2 (5%) 3 (7.5%) During these years, only 5 blacks were elected to the state House from districts wherein blacks did not constitute a clear majority. [15] Two of these representatives [16] came from districts [17] wherein blacks constituted a near majority under the 1980 census (49% and 45%) and clear majority under the 1990 census (56% and 60%). The remaining 3 [18] came from districts [19] wherein blacks constituted a significant portion of the population under both the 1980 (33%, 26%, and 26%) and 1990 (33%, 27%, and 29%) counts. Of these 3 districts, only 1 elected a black representative more than once, and this was apparently an anomaly. [20] During this period, no Hispanic was elected to the House from a district wherein Hispanics did not constitute a clear majority. During these same years, only 1 black was elected to the state Senate from a district wherein blacks did not constitute a clear majority. [21] This district contained a near majority of blacks under both the 1980 (49%) and 1990 (48%) counts. No Hispanic was elected to the Senate from a district wherein Hispanics did not constitute a clear majority. Conversely, at each election during this period, in every district wherein blacks constituted a clear or near majority under either census, voters chose to be represented by a black legislator in the House. [22] The same is true of the Senate. [23] At each election subsequent to 1982, in every district wherein Hispanics constituted a clear majority, voters chose to be represented by a Hispanic representative in the House. [24] The same is true of the Senate for elections held subsequent to 1988. [25]