Why did CO, MN, and NH have such strong leftward swings?

[Calthrina950]

Colorado and Minnesota are basically the same thing:

- seemingly perpetually locked at about D+10
- extremely polarized
- one huge metro that dominates the state (and has powerful D trends in its suburbs)
- some very R rural areas
- some D rural areas (a rarity nowadays)
- really no major elastic area at all


New Hampshire is just weird. I'm just not questioning it. Swung 7 points left from 2016 and elected a Republican trifecta at the same time.

Another similarity between Colorado and Minnesota is that they have among the highest turnout rates in the country. I believe Minnesota is actually at the top of the list.

[Calthrina950]

Colorado and Minnesota are basically the same thing:

- seemingly perpetually locked at about D+10
- extremely polarized
- one huge metro that dominates the state (and has powerful D trends in its suburbs)
- some very R rural areas
- some D rural areas (a rarity nowadays)
- really no major elastic area at all


New Hampshire is just weird. I'm just not questioning it. Swung 7 points left from 2016 and elected a Republican trifecta at the same time.

Another similarity between Colorado and Minnesota is that they have among the highest turnout rates in the country. I believe Minnesota is actually at the top of the list.

I knew I was forgetting something!

And those feed off of each other, also. Turnout is high because the states are polarized, and the states are polarized because turnout is high. This also makes them relatively wave-resistant.

Colorado's all mail-in ballot system also helps to engender higher turnout rates. I'm not familiar with Minnesota's ballot system, but I know that Minnesotans have traditionally tended to place high importance on voting and consider it a civic responsibility.