Which state voted closest to how you would've voted?

[Vice President Christian Man]

Start with 1912, as that was when all 48-contingous states were established. For me I'm going to go with Wisconsin where I would've voted differently from them 5 times. The only election I didn't count for myself was 1960 because I would've voted differently if I wasn't from Massachusetts.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I think Indiana?  I would have voted GOP in every election since then, so just 1912, 1932, 1936, 1964, and 2008, all of which were landslide losses nationally.

[H. Ross Peron]

Minnesota.

[Person Man]

I thought about this- the last Republicans I would  voted for would be Harding and Coolidge (though maybe I would of voted Third Party in 1924)  and that is simply because Cox and Davis tried to stop being Democrats.  

So I guess Minnesota?

[Ferguson97]

Minnesota or DC I guess.

Start with 1912, as that was when all 50-contingous states were established.

Minor point, but there are only 48-contiguous states.

[Kuumo]

I think most partisan Democrats and strong left-wingers are going to pick Minnesota.

[Schiff for Senate]

This actually is a more fun excerise than appears on face value. I go with time brackets and slowly eliminate states until one remains.


2000-present: Tie between HI, CA, OR, WA, MN, IL, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, ME, which all score 6/6.

2020: Biden
2016: Clinton
2012: Obama
2008: Obama
2004: Kerry
2000: Gore

1980-present: Since don't know doesn't count and Anderson and Perot doesn't win states, I can go with any and all Bush 1988 - Clinon 1996 states. Since these are only 2 elections and 2000-2020 is six, it's basically now a tie between all the Bush 1988 states that have voted only blue from 1996 onwards - eliminating OR, WA, HI, MN, NY, RI and MA, and leaving me with: CA, IL, MD, DE, NJ, CT, VT and ME.

1996: Clinton
1992: Perot (I didn't even really agree with him on a lot of stuff I just wanted to vote for an Independent who could win a state or two)
1988: Bush (I might've said Dukakis in other places, but going with Bush right now)
1984: Don't know
1980: Anderson

1968-present: All the states left are Nixon 1972 states, of course. I now must eliminate from the remaining states any Humphrey or Wallace (there were no Wallace states on the list to begin with, actually) states, striking down MD, CT and ME and leaving: CA, IL, DE, NJ and VT.


1976: Don't know
1972: Nixon
1968: Nixon, probably

Let's bounce through now. 1964 I'd be a Johnson voter - a moot point since all these states were Johnson states. 1960 I'd be a Nixon voter - this eliminates the Kennedy states from the list (IL, DE and NJ) and leaves behind just two - VT and my home state. Now they duke it out and the first state going further back that voted differently from me loses, with the other state winning and earning the title of 'Most CentristRepublican state presidentially. I was going to be dramatic, but I remember VT was straight Republican from founding to 1964, so...

1952 and 1956: CA is a red state. I would also be red. Both states make it.
1948: I'd be a Truman voter. Thus VT loses...unless CA was also a Dewey state, in which case it's a two-way tie between them. I am now going to the Wikipedia page for the 1948 presidential election and (drumroll please) am going to definitively determine the winner...

...And it's CA, my home state. I have either been undecided or would vote the same way as CA for a streak longer than any other state - in fact, we'd last diverge in either 1924 (when I'd either support Coolidge, CA's winner, or LaFollete, the Progressive) or 1920 (when CA voted overwhelmingly for Harding but I'd support the internationalist Cox).

Here's to my home state voting the same way as me for the past century of presidential elections!

I think most partisan Democrats and strong left-wingers are going to pick Minnesota.

...And Republicans would get to choose from an array of states that were for Johnson but have never gone blue since, including ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, UT, ID, WY, UT and I think that's all of them.

[West_Midlander]

I skipped some elections where I didn't favor one candidate by much over another. I ended up getting to 1912 with ID, UT, OK, FL, and AK remaining. I would have voted for Roosevelt in 1912 but none of those states voted for him. AK also somewhat unfairly remained not eliminated since it wasn't a state for a few decades after 1912. Anyway, I also did not eliminate any states if all the remaining states voted for the candidate I did not prefer.

Anyway, the winner was Utah which voted for Taft who I thought was a fine second choice for 1912 since that was the only non-Wilson state of the remaining states, not considering Alaska.

[Battista Minola 1616]

I think most partisan Democrats and strong left-wingers are going to pick Minnesota.

I imagine most of them would pick Roosevelt in 1912, which would give it an advantage of one over Massachusetts or Rhode Island, but if one prefers Debs - let alone Wilson! - then it is not so clear. Although I suppose by the same token I should account for Thomas votes in 1928, of which I have seen a fair few.

[Xing]

Easy Minnesota vote. If we go from 2000 and count primaries, then Vermont.

[OSR stands with Israel]

This actually is a more fun excerise than appears on face value. I go with time brackets and slowly eliminate states until one remains.


2000-present: Tie between HI, CA, OR, WA, MN, IL, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, ME, which all score 6/6.

2020: Biden
2016: Clinton
2012: Obama
2008: Obama
2004: Kerry
2000: Gore

1980-present: Since don't know doesn't count and Anderson and Perot doesn't win states, I can go with any and all Bush 1988 - Clinon 1996 states. Since these are only 2 elections and 2000-2020 is six, it's basically now a tie between all the Bush 1988 states that have voted only blue from 1996 onwards - eliminating OR, WA, HI, MN, NY, RI and MA, and leaving me with: CA, IL, MD, DE, NJ, CT, VT and ME.

1996: Clinton
1992: Perot (I didn't even really agree with him on a lot of stuff I just wanted to vote for an Independent who could win a state or two)
1988: Bush (I might've said Dukakis in other places, but going with Bush right now)
1984: Don't know
1980: Anderson

1968-present: All the states left are Nixon 1972 states, of course. I now must eliminate from the remaining states any Humphrey or Wallace (there were no Wallace states on the list to begin with, actually) states, striking down MD, CT and ME and leaving: CA, IL, DE, NJ and VT.


1976: Don't know
1972: Nixon
1968: Nixon, probably

Let's bounce through now. 1964 I'd be a Johnson voter - a moot point since all these states were Johnson states. 1960 I'd be a Nixon voter - this eliminates the Kennedy states from the list (IL, DE and NJ) and leaves behind just two - VT and my home state. Now they duke it out and the first state going further back that voted differently from me loses, with the other state winning and earning the title of 'Most CentristRepublican state presidentially. I was going to be dramatic, but I remember VT was straight Republican from founding to 1964, so...

1952 and 1956: CA is a red state. I would also be red. Both states make it.
1948: I'd be a Truman voter. Thus VT loses...unless CA was also a Dewey state, in which case it's a two-way tie between them. I am now going to the Wikipedia page for the 1948 presidential election and (drumroll please) am going to definitively determine the winner...

...And it's CA, my home state. I have either been undecided or would vote the same way as CA for a streak longer than any other state - in fact, we'd last diverge in either 1924 (when I'd either support Coolidge, CA's winner, or LaFollete, the Progressive) or 1920 (when CA voted overwhelmingly for Harding but I'd support the internationalist Cox).

Here's to my home state voting the same way as me for the past century of presidential elections!

I think most partisan Democrats and strong left-wingers are going to pick Minnesota.

...And Republicans would get to choose from an array of states that were for Johnson but have never gone blue since, including ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, UT, ID, WY, UT and I think that's all of them.

You would diverge in 1980 from CA and maybe in 1984 given Reagan won CA twice

[Schiff for Senate]

This actually is a more fun excerise than appears on face value. I go with time brackets and slowly eliminate states until one remains.


2000-present: Tie between HI, CA, OR, WA, MN, IL, MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, ME, which all score 6/6.

2020: Biden
2016: Clinton
2012: Obama
2008: Obama
2004: Kerry
2000: Gore

1980-present: Since don't know doesn't count and Anderson and Perot doesn't win states, I can go with any and all Bush 1988 - Clinon 1996 states. Since these are only 2 elections and 2000-2020 is six, it's basically now a tie between all the Bush 1988 states that have voted only blue from 1996 onwards - eliminating OR, WA, HI, MN, NY, RI and MA, and leaving me with: CA, IL, MD, DE, NJ, CT, VT and ME.

1996: Clinton
1992: Perot (I didn't even really agree with him on a lot of stuff I just wanted to vote for an Independent who could win a state or two)
1988: Bush (I might've said Dukakis in other places, but going with Bush right now)
1984: Don't know
1980: Anderson

1968-present: All the states left are Nixon 1972 states, of course. I now must eliminate from the remaining states any Humphrey or Wallace (there were no Wallace states on the list to begin with, actually) states, striking down MD, CT and ME and leaving: CA, IL, DE, NJ and VT.


1976: Don't know
1972: Nixon
1968: Nixon, probably

Let's bounce through now. 1964 I'd be a Johnson voter - a moot point since all these states were Johnson states. 1960 I'd be a Nixon voter - this eliminates the Kennedy states from the list (IL, DE and NJ) and leaves behind just two - VT and my home state. Now they duke it out and the first state going further back that voted differently from me loses, with the other state winning and earning the title of 'Most CentristRepublican state presidentially. I was going to be dramatic, but I remember VT was straight Republican from founding to 1964, so...

1952 and 1956: CA is a red state. I would also be red. Both states make it.
1948: I'd be a Truman voter. Thus VT loses...unless CA was also a Dewey state, in which case it's a two-way tie between them. I am now going to the Wikipedia page for the 1948 presidential election and (drumroll please) am going to definitively determine the winner...

...And it's CA, my home state. I have either been undecided or would vote the same way as CA for a streak longer than any other state - in fact, we'd last diverge in either 1924 (when I'd either support Coolidge, CA's winner, or LaFollete, the Progressive) or 1920 (when CA voted overwhelmingly for Harding but I'd support the internationalist Cox).

Here's to my home state voting the same way as me for the past century of presidential elections!

I think most partisan Democrats and strong left-wingers are going to pick Minnesota.

...And Republicans would get to choose from an array of states that were for Johnson but have never gone blue since, including ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, UT, ID, WY, UT and I think that's all of them.

You would diverge in 1980 from CA and maybe in 1984 given Reagan won CA twice

If I'm undecided (1984) or supporting a third-party candidate who won no states (1980), then that doesn't count as a penalty.

[OSR stands with Israel]

So Lets do mine(No Hindsight of course) with third parties counting as half a point in both directions.

From 2020-1980 in reverse order:
2020: Write In
2016: McMullin
2012: Romney
2008: McCain
2004: Bush
2000: Bush
1996: Clinton
1992: Bush
1988: Bush
1984: Reagan
1980: Reagan


So out of 11 elections thats 9 points for the GOP and 2 for the Democrats. I think the only state that has voted Republican exactly 9 times since 1980 for the GOP is Arizona and the two times it voted Dem are also two times I wouldnt vote for the GOP nominee(1996, 2020) so Arizona fits.




Even going I pretty much would vote like Arizona did in every election from 1920-1976 with the exception of 64 and maybe 76

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

So Lets do mine(No Hindsight of course) with third parties counting as half a point in both directions.

From 2020-1980 in reverse order:
2020: Write In
2016: McMullin
2012: Romney
2008: McCain
2004: Bush
2000: Bush
1996: Clinton
1992: Bush
1988: Bush
1984: Reagan
1980: Reagan


So out of 11 elections thats 9 points for the GOP and 2 for the Democrats. I think the only state that has voted Republican exactly 9 times since 1980 for the GOP is Arizona and the two times it voted Dem are also two times I wouldnt vote for the GOP nominee(1996, 2020) so Arizona fits.




Even going I pretty much would vote like Arizona did in every election from 1920-1976 with the exception of 64 and maybe 76

You'd support Clinton in 1996?

Anyway, mine looks like this:
2020: Joe Biden
2016: Evan McMullin
2012: Barack Obama
2008: John McCain
2004: George Bush
2000: Al Gore
1996: Bill Clinton
1992: George HW Bush
1988: George HW Bush
1984: Ronald Reagan
1980: Ronald Reagan
1976: Gerald Ford
1972: Richard Nixon
1968: Richard Nixon
1964: Barry Goldwater
1960: Richard Nixon
1956: Dwight Eisenhower
1952: Dwight Eisenhower
1948: Thomas Dewey
1944: Thomas Dewey
1940: Wendell Willkie
1936: Alf Landon
1932: Herbert Hoover
1928: Herbert Hoover
1924: Calvin Coolidge
1920: Warren G Harding

[OSR stands with Israel]

You'd support Clinton in 1996?

Yes I think he was a great president and Id vote to reelect presidents that I think are great regardless of party

[satsuma]

Probably Iowa or Ohio, like I could see switching to R in the 1940s but voting D more often in the Clinton-Obama era.

[Vosem]

Generally, the ones from before the Second World War are extremely speculative, since my views depend strongly on events from the 1930s/1940s, and before those years it's difficult to guess how I might've voted, with the guesses coming from ethnic identity (Jews largely voting Democratic in the 1920s and later) or in some of the earliest ones geographic location and personality (Jews were Republicans during the Bryanite era, and given the places I've lived and my stubbornness I guess I would keep voting Republican in the 1910s, when they were a swing demographic).

Being a Cold Warrior in the 1950s wouldn't really predict voting behavior, but eventually I switch pretty thoroughly to the Republicans.

1912-1920: R
1924-1948: D
1952: R
1956-1960: D
1964-1968: R
1972: D
1976: L
1980-2012: R
2016-2020: L

I'm going to do these by era, with cut-offs when weird landslides hit that make it hard to keep track of the map:

First chunk, 1912-1928 (pre-New Deal):
3 matches: VT, MA, RI
2 matches: OR, UT, SD, OK, MN, IA, WI, IL, IN, MI, AR, LA, TN, MS, AL, GA, SC, WV, PA, DE, NJ, NY, CT, ME
1 match: almost the whole rest of the map
0 matches: KY (the only Cox/Coolidge state flips the opposite direction from me)

Second chunk, 1932-1948 (New Deal era):
This is just how many times did each state vote Democratic.
5 matches: most of the map
4 matches: OR, WY, WI, OH, LA, MS, AL, SC, MD, NJ, NY
3 matches: CO, IA, MI, PA, DE, CT, NH
2 matches: ND, SD, NE, KS, IN
1 matches: weirdly, n/a
0 matches: VT, ME (as goes Maine, so goes Vermont!)

Third chunk, 1952-1976 (First Cold War era):
4 matches: MO, SC
3 matches: NV, AZ, NM, IL, AL, GA, NC, DE, NJ, MA
2 matches: most of the map
1 match: AK, HI, DC (few opportunities), WA, KY, WV, ME

Fourth chunk, 1980-1988 (Republican landslides):
3 matches: most of the map
2 matches: WA, OR, IA, WI, GA, MD, NY, MA
1 match: HI, WV, RI
0 matches: MN, DC

Fifth era, 1992-present (polarization and Trump):
6 matches: AK, UT, ID, WY, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MS, AL, SC
5 matches: AZ, MT, IN, NC, GA
4 matches: LA, AR, MO, TN, KY, VA, WV
3 matches: CO, FL
2 matches: NV, OH
1 match: NM, IA, NH
0 matches: the rest of the map

Looks like a pretty solid skew towards the South, as might be expected from a Democrat-->Republican switcher. (The South also gets points for me sometimes taking its side in landslide defeats, including Davis '24/Smith '28/Stevenson '56/Goldwater '64). I think South Carolina comes in first at 19 hits (it's the only Southern state that's also Kennedy '60-->Nixon '68), though a number of states are at 17-18, including UT (18) and AZ (17) outside the South.


EDIT: Yeah, interestingly enough the answer is South Carolina, at 19/28. There are a whole bunch of 17-18s, including AZ/UT/ID outside the South (and if you norm AK to the rest of the data-set, you get 17.5). Much of the South is close, too.

[Thank you for being a friend...]

Maybe my home state of PA?  It voted for Teddy the Progressive in 1912... which always struck me as interesting because it was such a Republican state.  I guess the brand of Republican in the state was not Taft conservative.  I disagree with PA big time in 1932 and 2016, but overall it's got a pretty solid, or at least understandable, voting history. 

I'd probably have been a moderate or liberal Republican up until JFK.  I think I would have really liked Kennedy.  Yes he had his faults but he was quite charming, inspirational, and young.

[Vosem]

EDIT: Yeah, interestingly enough the answer is South Carolina, at 19/28. There are a whole bunch of 17-18s, including AZ/UT/ID outside the South (and if you norm AK to the rest of the data-set, you get 17.5). Much of the South is close, too.

19: South Carolina
18: Alabama, Alaska (normed, rounded), Oklahoma, Utah
17: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas
16: Arkansas, Montana, Tennessee, Wyoming
15: Louisiana, South Dakota, Virginia
14: Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota
13: Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, West Virginia
12: Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio
11: California, Delaware, Rhode Island
10: Alaska (not normed), Connecticut, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania
9: Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin 
8: Vermont
6: Maine
4: Hawaii (normed, rounded)
2: District of Columbia (normed, rounded), Hawaii (not normed)
1: District of Columbia (not normed)

South Carolina, indeed, edges out a bunch of states for first. Maine and Vermont far behind in last isn't that surprising (they were against FDR, and then the post-1992 GOP), but it's interesting to see Maine in particular lag so far behind, and some of the other states that did poorly, like the Lutheran Triangle ones, were kind of unexpected. Here's a map:

Missouri and, interestingly, Massachusetts stand out within their own respective regions.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

I'd choose Wisconsin because of it's history of being quite progressive and socialist candidates doing quite well in the state.

[Mr. Smith]

1912-1964: Virginia
1968-2012: Minnesota
2016-Present: Nevada

[Brother Jonathan]

For me, it appears to be South Dakota, with Indiana in second place. I would have voted the same as South Dakota in 22 out of 28 elections, and I awarded it a half-point for voting for Roosevelt in 1912.