Research on the impacts of city-county consolidation often focus on issues relating to efficiency, effectiveness, and economic development; yet, relatively few studies have addressed the issue of racial and ethnic minority representation. While existing research is limited, findings indicate that consolidating city and county governments dilutes minority voting strength and has a disparate impact on minority representation. However, it is not clear if this is a nationwide trend, particularly in preclearance states previously covered by the Voting Rights Act. Thus, the question becomes, does consolidation negatively affect minority representation, and to what extent? This study employs a quasi-experimental interrupted time-series analysis in order to ascertain the overall impact of consolidation on the descriptive representation of African Americans since 1965. Results indicate that while representation has increased in recent decades, there are discernible declines in following consolidation, and noticeable representational disparities in counties previously covered by the Voting Rights Act.

Research on the impacts of city–county consolidation often focuses on issues relating to efficiency, effectiveness, and economic development; yet, relatively few studies have addressed the issue of racial and ethnic minority representation. Although existing research is limited, findings indicate that consolidating city and county governments dilutes minority voting strength and has a disparate impact on minority representation. However, it is not clear if this is a nationwide trend, particularly in preclearance states previously covered by the Voting Rights Act. Thus, the question becomes, does consolidation negatively affect minority representation, and to what extent? This study employs a quasi-experimental interrupted time-series analysis to ascertain the overall impact of consolidation on the descriptive representation of African Americans since 1965. Results indicate that while descriptive representation has generally increased in recent decades, there are discernible declines following consolidation and noticeable representational disparities in counties previously covered by the Voting Rights Act.

Despite the relative infrequency of successful city-county consolidation campaigns, local government officials and reformers continue revisiting the possibilities and perceived benefits associated with consolidation. While studies analyzing campaigns for and against consolidation efforts exist, little is known beyond factors at the city and/or county level. For this reason, it is important dig deeper and explore the differences at smaller geographic levels. Utilizing demographic, geographic, and electoral data, this study examines the factors that contribute to support (or opposition) to consolidation at the voting precinct-level in reform efforts over the last two decades. Results indicate that factors related to higher levels of education, home values, and larger Hispanic populations tend to increase the vote share in favor of consolidation, while areas with larger median household incomes tend to show lower levels of support. These findings help extend our understanding of boundary change and voting in local referenda in the United States.

Despite the relative infrequency of successful city-county consolidation campaigns, local government officials and reformers continue revisiting the possibilities and perceived benefits associated with consolidation. While studies analyzing campaigns for and against consolidation efforts exist, little is known beyond factors at the city and/or county level. For this reason, it is important to dig deeper and explore the differences at smaller geographic levels. Utilizing demographic, geographic, and electoral data, this study examines the factors which contribute to support (or opposition) to consolidation at the voting precinct-level in reform efforts over the last two decades. Results indicate that factors related to higher levels of education, home values, and larger Hispanic populations tend to increase the vote share in favor of consolidation, while areas with larger median household incomes demonstrate lower levels of support. These findings help extend our understanding of boundary change and voting in local referenda in the United States.