(Thread) Interesting factoids about presidential elections.

[Chips]

If VA and WV remained united, Romney and Trump would've won the combined state by 30,000 and 88,000 votes respectively and VA would remain a swing state rather than a leaning Democratic one. Clinton would've also carried the combined two in 1996 by 46,000 votes as well as come within 23,000 votes of winning the united two in 1992.

[Chips]

1988 is the last time to date that WI, MI and PA didn't all vote for the same party. This could've happened in 2000, 2004 and 2020 if the GOP had just slightly better luck in Wisconsin or 2016 if the Dems had just focused on Michigan just a bit more.

[Chips]

Going back to 1884, no Democrat has won all 3 of Orange County, CA; Orange County, FL; and Orange County, NY.

From 1948 through 1988, the GOP swept all 3 counties, except in 1964 when Johnson carried Orange County, NY. In each election since then, the Dem has carried at least one: in 1992 and 1996, Clinton carried Orange County, NY only; in 2000 and 2004, Gore and Kerry carried Orange County, FL only; in 2008 and 2012, Obama carried Orange County, FL and Orange County, NY; and finally in 2016, Clinton carried Orange County, CA and Orange County, FL.

This streak came so close to breaking in 2020. Trump won Orange, NY by just 0.19%.

[Chips]

Turnout for the 2020 election was the highest for any election in 120 years.

[Chips]

1988 was the last time one of WI, MI and PA voted differently than the others.

1996 and 2004 were the only elections since 1964 that both major parties picked up states.

[Chips]

1988 was the last time one of WI, MI and PA voted differently than the others.

2004 was the only election since 1964 that both major parties picked up states.

1996 says differently.

I forgot for some reason.

[Chips]

…

1996 and 2004 were the only elections since 1964 that both major parties picked up states.

Those two elections were party holds. Re-elections for incumbent U.S. presidents.

In elections in which a party switch occurs for the White House, the pickup winning party tends to carry everything in the party’s column from the prior cycle (which they lost).

You have to go back to the 1880s and 1890s for a pickup winning Republican or Democrat who lost a state their party’s losing nominee had carried in the prior cycle.

The only plausible way this could be broken in 2024:

[Chips]

1976 was the last time MI and PA voted differently from each other. The closest this came to breaking was 2016 and could very well break in 2024. It had a realistic chance of happening in 1988 too. Dukakis just needed 2.5% more.

[Chips]

Depending on how you choose to count the 1960 Alabama vote, either Kennedy or Nixon could've won the state as well as the nationwide popular vote.

Most news organizations simply took the elector with the highest number of votes for both Byrd and Kennedy and accept that as popular vote totals. Some however say it's more fair to split up the Democratic vote 6/5 in Byrd's favor as that's how the election lined up. Kennedy loses 171,000 votes if you do this which is greater than his margin in both Alabama and the national popular vote. Congressional Quarterly originally calculated the results in this manner.