Bizarre voting patterns in the past

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm pretty shocked that in 1960 in Minnesota, JFK lost Hennepin county yet won Scott with over 60% of the vote! I'll assume that in 1960 Scott was a rural populist county and not the sprawling suburban hell it is today.

also in Multnomah county, Oregon voted for Nixon. But in 1972, it voted for McGovern! Is this the only county in the country to do so?

perhaps the most bizarre voting pattern though is that of Alachua county, Florida's top 3 candidates were this:

Hoover (Republican) - 35.01%
Thomas (Socialist) - 32.18%
Foster (Communist) - 30.15%

Al Smith couldn't have gotten anymore than 2.66% of the vote, yet the Socialist and Communists gover over 60%! And to make things even more bizzare, in 1948 Alachua went on to vote for Strom Thurmond.

any others people noticed?

[zachman]

Here's a question, what do you guys think was the biggest swing in a state compared to the national average. I cannot decide whether Nebraska for the Democrats in 1892 and 1896 or the swing in Massachusetts to the Democrats from 1024 to 1928. This is what happens when I view the atlas too much.

[Keystone Phil]

Jefferson county, Iowa. I found this extremely bizzare.

The following totals are for candidates that are not members of the Republican, Democrat, Green or Reform parties.

2000 - 16.3% - Other
1996 - 22.8% - Other
1992 - 23.9% - Other

I don't know what's been going on over in Jefferson Co. Iowa these past three elections. It's a recent occurance, too. If you go back to elections in '88, '84, '80, '76...the "other" vote in the county usually doesn't exceed 2%.

[nclib]

Jefferson county, Iowa. I found this extremely bizzare.

The following totals are for candidates that are not members of the Republican, Democrat, Green or Reform parties.

2000 - 16.3% - Other
1996 - 22.8% - Other
1992 - 23.9% - Other

I don't know what's been going on over in Jefferson Co. Iowa these past three elections. It's a recent occurance, too. If you go back to elections in '88, '84, '80, '76...the "other" vote in the county usually doesn't exceed 2%.

I think that was John Hagelin--Natural Law Party candidate who was from there.

[Keystone Phil]

well now that would explain that

[nclib]

On a state level, I find it interesting that Vermont was the only state that swung to the Dems from 1976-1980 and Tenn. was the only state that swung to the GOP from 1984-1988.

[minionofmidas]

Jefferson county, Iowa. I found this extremely bizzare.

The following totals are for candidates that are not members of the Republican, Democrat, Green or Reform parties.

2000 - 16.3% - Other
1996 - 22.8% - Other
1992 - 23.9% - Other

I don't know what's been going on over in Jefferson Co. Iowa these past three elections. It's a recent occurance, too. If you go back to elections in '88, '84, '80, '76...the "other" vote in the county usually doesn't exceed 2%.

I think that was John Hagelin--Natural Law Party candidate who was from there.

The Natural Law endorsement also propelled Kucinich to victory in the primary in that county.

But the Alachua result is great. (chuckles) An absolute majority for Marxists in North Florida...incredible. And it's not a handful-of-inhabitants county either.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I believe Alachua contains Gainesville, home of the University of Florida. I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Today it appears to be a pretty standard heavily Dem leaning county, voted for Gore over Bush 55.2/39.8

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In 1976, Carter won Fannin County, GA

[ilikeverin]

In 1976, Carter won Fannin County, GA

so...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In 1976, Carter won Fannin County, GA

Why is that surprising since he was the former governor of the state? I know nothing about the voting patterns of Fannin County, BTW.

Fannin is a "GOP since the Civil War" hillbilly county in Northern Georgia.
It voted against FDR in the '30's.
I find it *amazing* that a Democrat could *ever* win Fannin...

[Nym90]

Jefferson county, Iowa. I found this extremely bizzare.

The following totals are for candidates that are not members of the Republican, Democrat, Green or Reform parties.

2000 - 16.3% - Other
1996 - 22.8% - Other
1992 - 23.9% - Other

I don't know what's been going on over in Jefferson Co. Iowa these past three elections. It's a recent occurance, too. If you go back to elections in '88, '84, '80, '76...the "other" vote in the county usually doesn't exceed 2%.

I think that was John Hagelin--Natural Law Party candidate who was from there.

The Natural Law endorsement also propelled Kucinich to victory in the primary in that county.

But the Alachua result is great. (chuckles) An absolute majority for Marxists in North Florida...incredible. And it's not a handful-of-inhabitants county either.

Dean won Jefferson County, not Kucinich.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

In 1976, Carter won Fannin County, GA

Why is that surprising since he was the former governor of the state? I know nothing about the voting patterns of Fannin County, BTW.

Fannin is a "GOP since the Civil War" hillbilly county in Northern Georgia.
It voted against FDR in the '30's.
I find it *amazing* that a Democrat could *ever* win Fannin...

Clinton won a few counties like that in northwest Arkansas  though.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In 1976, Carter won Fannin County, GA

Why is that surprising since he was the former governor of the state? I know nothing about the voting patterns of Fannin County, BTW.

Fannin is a "GOP since the Civil War" hillbilly county in Northern Georgia.
It voted against FDR in the '30's.
I find it *amazing* that a Democrat could *ever* win Fannin...

Clinton won a few counties like that in northwest Arkansas  though.

True

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Now that I looked it up, Carter actually won every county in Georgia in 1976. Quite amazing when you consider that means he won Gingrich and Barr country.

[nclib]

Carter's sweep of GA's counties in '76 is even more amazing given the fact that Nixon won all of GA's counties in '72.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Carter's sweep of GA's counties in '76 is even more amazing given the fact that Nixon won all of GA's counties in '72.

Nixon's '72 sweep was the first time (in the C20th at least) that *anyone* had won every county in GA.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Tompkins County NY voted against FDR all 4 times. It voted Republican in all but one election (LBJ's supreme 1964 landslide) up to 1980. It voted for Reagan then. In Reagan's landslide 1984 election it voted Democrat for the 2nd time ever (that I could find). It's always gone Democrat since, and Bush got only a third of the vote in 2000, it's one of the most liberal counties in the US now.

[gorkay]

In 1976, Carter won Fannin County, GA

Probably only because he was from that state. Remember that Carter practically swept the South in 1976.

Why is that surprising since he was the former governor of the state? I know nothing about the voting patterns of Fannin County, BTW.

Fannin is a "GOP since the Civil War" hillbilly county in Northern Georgia.
It voted against FDR in the '30's.
I find it *amazing* that a Democrat could *ever* win Fannin...

[Schmitz in 1972]

Carter's sweep of GA's counties in '76 is even more amazing given the fact that Nixon won all of GA's counties in '72.

Yeah, I find it absolutely crazy that all 159 counties would vote for a Republican one election and then four years all vote for the Democrat. Even crazier is the fact that four years earlier in 1968 Wallace fell only 17 (out of 159 mind you) counties short of sweeping Georgia. Had those 17 went for Wallace, Georgia would have gone from all counties voting American Independent to all counties voting Republican to all counties voting  Democratic in just three elections!

[Rob]

Cottle County, Texas voted for George McGovern in 1972. Although the margin was narrow (0.6 percent), it's amazing that any heavily white, rural county in Texas would go for McGovern.

[jimrtex]

perhaps the most bizarre voting pattern though is that of Alachua county, Florida's top 3 candidates were this:

Hoover (Republican) - 35.01%
Thomas (Socialist) - 32.18%
Foster (Communist) - 30.15%

Dave Leip explained that Florida voters cast their votes for individual electors (if a state had N electors, a voter could vote for N of the candidates listed on the ballot).  Traditionally, when such a system is used, the vote total of the leading elector candidate of a party slate is the one that is reported.  In Alachua County, the ballot layout was confusing or unconventional such that many voters voted for some of the wrong party candidates.  So where a voter might be expecting the following electoral slate (all GOP candidates):

George Washington (GOP)
John Adams (GOP)
Thomas Jefferson (GOP)

the ballot had:

James Madison (GOP)
James Monroe (Communist)
John Q Adams (Socialist)

I don't know the ballot details, but it is quite possible that Hoover's name did not appear on the ballot, and possibly the party affiliation.  Or maybe it was just confusing (like the butterfly ballot of 2000).  So many voters intending to vote the GOP slate accidentally voted for a Communist and a Socialist.  Each had the high total for his respective party, and it is this number that is reported.  The fact that there was small dropoffs indicates that a small percentage of the voters knew the correct elector names.

Note that other states have used similar systems in the past which in the case of close elections has resulted in election of electors from different parties.  (the split in Alabama's 1960 electoral votes was a result of such a system.  Electors were chosen as individuals in the Democrat primary.  In the general election, a vote was cast for the party slate.  5 were pledged to the national party and voted for JFK, while 6 were unpledged and voted for HF Byrd.  Arguably, popular votes for the Democrat slate should not be counted as being popular votes for JFK, or only partially so.   If this interpretation is used then Nixon won the national popular vote in 1960 but lost the electoral vote.

[jimrtex]

Jefferson county, Iowa. I found this extremely bizzare.

The following totals are for candidates that are not members of the Republican, Democrat, Green or Reform parties.

2000 - 16.3% - Other
1996 - 22.8% - Other
1992 - 23.9% - Other

I don't know what's been going on over in Jefferson Co. Iowa these past three elections. It's a recent occurance, too. If you go back to elections in '88, '84, '80, '76...the "other" vote in the county usually doesn't exceed 2%.

Mum's the word.

Fairfield, the county seat, is also the location of Maharishi University of Management (and more restaurants per capita than San Francisco).  Two miles north is the newly incorporated Maharishi Vedic City.

Check up On City Council

The "other" votes were likely for the Natural Law candidate.

[jimrtex]

Not bizarre, but interesting is Clayton County, Georgia.

It was carried by Wallace, Reagan, GHW Bush, and Kerry.

In 1980, it was one of 13 counties carried by Reagan.  In 2004 it was one of 26 counties carried by Kerry.

1932: 97% FDR
1960: 67% JFK
1964: 64% Goldwater
1968: 50% Wallace, 35% Nixon, 15% HHH
1972: 86% Nixon
1976: 62% Carter
1980: 50% Reagan 46% Carter
1984: 73% Reagan
1988: 65% Bush
1992: 45% Clinton, 41% Bush, 14% Perot
1996: 56% Clinton, 37% Cole, 6% Perot
2000: 65% Gore
2004: 70% Kerry

[minionofmidas]

Jefferson county, Iowa. I found this extremely bizzare.

The following totals are for candidates that are not members of the Republican, Democrat, Green or Reform parties.

2000 - 16.3% - Other
1996 - 22.8% - Other
1992 - 23.9% - Other

I don't know what's been going on over in Jefferson Co. Iowa these past three elections. It's a recent occurance, too. If you go back to elections in '88, '84, '80, '76...the "other" vote in the county usually doesn't exceed 2%.

Mum's the word.

Fairfield, the county seat, is also the location of Maharishi University of Management (and more restaurants per capita than San Francisco).  Two miles north is the newly incorporated Maharishi Vedic City.

Yeah, John Hagelin stronghold. In 2004, the Natural Law party did not run a candidate, and these votes went to Kerry. In the 2004 Iowa caucus, Dennis Kucinich ran second in the county, thanks to Natural Law backing.