Voting Rights Act Research by Professor Elmendorf Cited in New York Times, The Nation
Research by Professor Christopher S. Elmendorf measuring levels of racial prejudice in different areas of the United States figured prominently in articles in the New York Times and The Nation. The news articles addressed the topic of racial prejudice as the U.S. Supreme Court considered Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which determines which states must receive federal approval before making changes to their election laws due to their history of racial discrimination.
The New York Times quoted research by Professor Elmendorf and University of Connecticut Law Professor Douglas M. Spencer published in "The Geography of Discrimination in Voting: MRP Meets the VRA." In the paper, they write that "It may be argued that Virginia and perhaps South Carolina should not be covered, but the rest of the covered states in the Deep South top the list of the most prejudiced states by anti-black stereotyping."
An article in The Nation also quoted from the same paper. "'Section 5,' write law professors Christopher Elmendorf and Douglas Spencer, 'is remarkably well tailored to the geography of anti-black prejudice.'"
Christopher S. Elmendorf is a Professor of Law at UC Davis School of Law whose teaching and research interests include election law, administrative law, statutory interpretation, constitutional law, and property and natural resources law.