Racial divisions in the vote raise concerns. In American democracy most White Americans end up on one side of the vote, while the overwhelming majority of racial and ethnic minorities end up on the other. This racial divide is growing, now rivaling or surpassing all other demographic divisions in the vote. Division may be a normal and healthy part of democracy, but when the main political divide in a society so closely mirrors the racial identities of its public, larger issues emerge.

The potentially negative consequences of this large and growing racial divide are not hard to imagine. Indeed, the math is quite simple. Although America is becoming more and more racially diverse, it is still a nation dominated by Whites. Whites still represent 61 percent of the population. And more critically, they still account for over 70 percent of the active voters in the country. Given that most Whites oppose candidates favored by most racial and ethnic minorities, the odds that minorities will lose out in American democracy are high. The White majority could effectively shut out racial and ethnic minorities from most aspects of the democratic process.