South Carolina voter registration by race, 1968-2008

[RBH]

the totals (via the 2008 election report, p. 218-238, http://www.scvotes.org/files/ElectionReports/Election_Report_2008.pdf )

1968: White 652096 / Black 200778... and give a total lower than the combined numbers of the two races.

1970: White 668397 (75%) / Black 220303 (25%)
1972: White 772603 (75%) / Black 260749 (25%) - voting age dropped to 18
1974: White 736302 (74%) / Black 261110 (26%) - uh, mass discovery of dead voters?
1976: White 827810 (74%) / Black 284876 (26%)
1978: White 804742 (73%) / Black 291486 (27%)
1980: White 914363 (74%) / Black 319826 (26%)
1982: White 886963 (72%) / Black 341709 (28%)
1984: White 1005186 (72%) / Black 388948 (28%)
1986: White 928898 (72%) / Black 366942 (28%)
1988: White 1048952 (73%) / Black 384362 (27%)
1990: White 996216 (74%) / Black 354700 (26%)
1992: White 1149516 (75%) / Black 381524 (25%)
1994: White 1122585 (75%) / Black 370351 (25%)
1996: White 1324927 (73%) / Nonwhite 489850 (27%)
1998: White 1469699 (73%) / Black 536248 (27%)
2000: White 1643956 (73%) / Black 599692 (26%)
2002: White 1490026 (73%) / Black 533282 (26%)
2004: White 1656016 (72%) / Black 625452 (27%)
2006: White 1750536 (71%) / Black 661432 (27%)
2008: White 1778779 (70%) / Black 721045 (28%)

and the map for 2008 (White in red, African-American in blue)

[Bo]

Interesting. It looks like Obama's election pumped up black registration a bit. Hopefully his reelection will do the same thing.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

the totals (via the 2008 election report, p. 218-238, http://www.scvotes.org/files/ElectionReports/Election_Report_2008.pdf )

1968: White 652096 / Black 200778... and give a total lower than the combined numbers of the two races.

1970: White 668397 (75%) / Black 220303 (25%)
1972: White 772603 (75%) / Black 260749 (25%) - voting age dropped to 18
1974: White 736302 (74%) / Black 261110 (26%) - uh, mass discovery of dead voters?

Not quite.  You'll notice that the numbers have regularly gone down for most off year elections.  Basically, after every presidential election, the State Election Commission sends out a postcard to everyone who hasn't voted in an election in the past four years.  Reply to it and confirm that you still live where you say you live and you stay on the election roll.  Don't reply, and your name gets purged because it is assumed you've moved and are no longer eligible to be registered where you registered.

Here's the entry concerning the 2009 purge. (link)