Texas Is the 8th Best State for Civic Racial Equality By WalletHub

On Tuesday, August 4th, the personal-financial website WalletHub released its list of 2020's Best States for Racial Equality in Civic Engagement.

According to the report, Texas is the 8th best state for racial equality in social and civic engagement.

"In order to determine the best states for racial equality in civic engagement, WalletHub compared 48 states and the District of Columbia across five key metrics. Our data set compares the difference between white and black Americans in areas like the share of single-parent households, the volunteer rate and voter-turnout rate. Read on for the results and a full description of our methodology.", says Adam McCann, financial writer.

According to the report, the breakdown for Texas looks pretty good considering it is ranked 1st in both shares of veterans and voter turnout rate.

Racial Equality in Social & Civic Engagement in Texas (1=Most Equality; 25=Avg.):

• 16^th – Share of Single-Parent Households
• 40^th – Share of Adult Population on Parole
• 1^st – Share of Veterans
• 6^th – Volunteer Rate
• 1^st – Voter-Turnout Rate

The report included questions and answers most commonly asked.

WalletHub Q&A

How can we ensure that people of all races have the same opportunity for political participation?

“In order to make sure that people of all races have the same opportunity for political participation, we should start by making it easier to register to vote. One way to make registration easier is by having it be “opt-out” rather than “opt-in” so people are registered by default, which 16 states have already implemented,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “When it comes to Election Day, we should make sure that minorities have as much access to polling stations as white Americans, and we could consider making the day a federal holiday or at least extending voting hours so that everyone has the time to go vote.”

What can we do to ensure a good voter turnout this year despite COVID-19?

“The first step to ensuring a good voter turnout in November despite COVID-19 is to observe proper social distancing and mask use protocols as states reopen. If we can severely curb the spread of COVID-19 in the next few months, in-person voting may be more feasible. On Election Day, polling stations should be equipped to provide masks, hand sanitizer and gloves to anyone who needs them,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “In addition to trying to improve conditions so in-person voting can work, we should prepare for the worst and create a robust system for voting by mail for all Americans. We can also try to facilitate online voting, but the cybersecurity risks may make that a less viable option.”

Why is New Mexico the best state for racial equality in civic engagement?

“New Mexico is the best state for racial equality in civic engagement in part because it has almost no difference in the share of black people on parole relative to white people, which suggests the state may have less prejudice in its justice system,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “New Mexico has one of the smallest differences between the share of black single-parent households relative to white single-parent households, too.”

Why does Wisconsin rank last for racial equality in civic engagement?

“One reason why Wisconsin ranks last for racial equality in civic engagement is because it has one of the highest discrepancies between white and black voter turnout rate in the country, with nearly 26 percent more of the white population voting relative to the black population,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Wisconsin has the biggest gap between white and black volunteering in the country, with 22 percent more of the white population volunteering relative to the black population, which suggests minorities may have fewer opportunities.”

To read the entire report including the methodology used to determine where states ranked on the list.