I posted this in
this thread on the Political Geography & Demographics forum, but for completeness' sake, I'm also posting it here. The Alaska Division of Elections made a 2012 precinct-level shapefile, so I can make a 2012 precinct-level map of the Presidential results.
Note that this is the election day precinct vote ONLY. Absentee, question and early votes were NOT allocated to the precincts. Unlike Lewis, I am not comfortable allocating things that are only reported by HD level to individual precincts. We have no way of knowing how many absentees, etc. were requested in any individual precinct.
The Yellow lines are the Borough/Census Area Boundaries. The grey lines are precinct boundaries:
Statewide:
Anchorage Municipality:
The older areas of the city near and around Downtown Anchorage generally voted for Obama, including the two University of Alaska at Anchorage precincts. The rest of the city, save the ski town of Girdwood and its neighbor Indian on the city's southern outskirts, generally voted for Romney. Stuckagain Heights was a tie.
Mat-Su Borough:
The Anchorage exurbs of the Mat-Su Valley are the Republican heartland of Alaska. Sarah Palin is from here. Romney won all but one precinct, often with over 70% of the vote. The one precinct Romney lost is Talkeetna, a quirky town that is basecamp for treks to Mount McKinley/Denali.
Kenai Peninsula Borough:
The Kenai Peninsula is also prime Republican territory. Romney won most areas, in some places with over 70% of the vote. But Obama also racked up wins here, in the hippy community of Hope in the north, in the Alaska Native community of Tyonek on the other side of Cook Inlet, and in the areas surrounding Homer in the south of the borough.
Note that the blue precinct on the ocean in the southwest is actually attached to Port Lyons on Kodiak Island for some bizarre reason. It is in a separate house district with more rural areas. I don't think many people live there, anyway.
Fairbanks-North Star Borough:
Romney won most of the borough, though generally not by as large a margin as in the Mat-Su or Kenai. Obama's best areas were near the University of Alaska at Fairbanks in the west of the borough. Romney did his best in North Pole and the east. One district near downtown Fairbanks tilted Obama.
Juneau City and Borough:
The state capital of Juneau is a Democratic stronghold. Nevertheless, Romney squeaked by in four precincts in Juneau's suburban Mendenhall Valley. Obama won the rest, breaking 80% in Juneau Number 2 near downtown.
