What Percentage of the Black Vote did Nixon get in Mississippi in '72?

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

Nationally, Nixon only won 15% of the black vote, but in Mississippi, where he won by a near-60 point sweep, I would assume he got much more than this. McGovern only won the 3 blackest black belt counties, and Nixon got over 60% in several... so what would you guess his statewide percentage of the black vote was?

[SingingAnalyst]

I'd say 15% tops. Voter turnout was low in MS in 1972, probably in large part because of Black voter suppression.

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

I'd say 15% tops. Voter turnout was low in MS in 1972, probably in large part because of Black voter suppression.

I have to think it was more than 15%, but I'd need to see specific turnout numbers. it's a shame there aren't exit polls for this.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

1972 was only the 2nd election after the VRA was passed in 1965. Getting blacks registered and getting used to voting after being denied for centuries, took decades. It wasn't until the late 80's that blacks in the South had their turnout rates raised to more normal levels.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

It may well have been more than 15%. Since blacks had been so heavily disenfranchised in Mississippi up until so recently, most blacks had not been loyal voters of either party, so they were perceived as being more up for grabs, at least when it came to non-presidential politics. Blacks in the 60s had developed their own political organizations to create alliances with whites who were open to civil rights, in contrast to the "Regular" Mississippi Democrats who excluded blacks. Some Republicans, like 1972's senatorial candidate Gil Carmichael, made an effort to reach out for black voters. The majority of  blacks who voted in state elections usually backed Democrats or independent candidates rather than Republicans, but not to the same level of partisan voting that came later.   The biggest factor limiting the black vote for Democrats though was turnout.