Minority vote on the rise in Boston

According to a recent report produced by the Civic Engagement Initiative (CEI), voting in some of Boston’s largely minority neighborhoods has increased dramatically.

CEI has been working with existing community organizations in largely minority neighborhoods since its founding in 2002. According to their recent report, CEI used the most powerful get-out-the-vote methods, specifically a non-partisan door to door campaign to encourage residents to vote.

These statistics show a significant shift in Boston’s traditional political power base. In the past, typically white, Irish neighborhoods such as South Boston have been the largest voters with the most political clout. According to the CEI report, Chinatown saw a 24.6 percent increase between the 2004 and 2008 elections. Jamaica Plane and Roxbury recorded a 24.2 percent increase, while Grove Hall and Dudley rose 23.4 percent. The largest increase was recorded in Uphams Corner at 26.5 percent.

Neighborhoods not currently working with CEI saw much smaller changes. West Roxbury, another traditionally powerful voting community rose only 4.1 percent. Brighton, the Back Bay, and Beacon Hill all rose only slightly over 8 percent.

According to the CEI’s report, a strong turn out in Chinatown helped put City Councilor Sam Yoon on Boston’s political map in 2005 and could help to put him into the mayor’s office.

According to the report, CEI will continue to work another five years, hoping to eventually close the gap between low- and high- voting neighborhoods. They are prepared to work in low-income neighborhoods throughout Boston and Chelsea to continue to raise voting numbers