Discuss with maps!: County map requests for 2008 election results

[Sbane]

Ahh, thank you!  That gels a lot better with my understanding of Redding.  Obama mostly in new subdivision-land, Clinton in old (and poorburb) old subdivision-land in East Redding, affectionately "Helltown."  Blue-collar downtown mostly Clinton, except for Brookline, the standard Nice Area.

Lake Shasta area is a bit surprisingly strong for Clinton, although admittedly I don't know who lives there, and the coloring of the westshore precinct suggests to me that these are low-vote precincts.  My guess is that's the same for the very-Obama Platina precinct in the southwest.  I forget where the topography gets farm-unfriendly, but I'm guessing Platina "proper" is pretty damn sparse.

For the record:  Redding is a horrible, terrible place.  Do not go there.

HAHA I would say it is one of the better inland cities. It at least has a nice river to cool off in when its 110 outside. On balance its a horrible place but it is close to lake shasta and the forest starts just north of the city. Not much else to do there though.

[Torie]

Ahh, thank you!  That gels a lot better with my understanding of Redding.  Obama mostly in new subdivision-land, Clinton in old (and poorburb) old subdivision-land in East Redding, affectionately "Helltown."  Blue-collar downtown mostly Clinton, except for Brookline, the standard Nice Area.

Lake Shasta area is a bit surprisingly strong for Clinton, although admittedly I don't know who lives there, and the coloring of the westshore precinct suggests to me that these are low-vote precincts.  My guess is that's the same for the very-Obama Platina precinct in the southwest.  I forget where the topography gets farm-unfriendly, but I'm guessing Platina "proper" is pretty damn sparse.

For the record:  Redding is a horrible, terrible place.  Do not go there.

What is so horrible about Redding?  It did not strike me as hell on earth by a long shot when I was last there about 40 years ago.

[Alcon]

Haha.  In fairness, I spent like one night there, and I was miserable for Redding-unrelated reasons.  But I remember downtown being a sprawly parking lot of a place, and East Redding being a tangled mess of cul de sacs, mass-produced houses and trailer parks.  The proximity of Shasta was lost on me, and I didn't get to see the river.  There wasn't much to do there.  I couldn't ever find out where the real downtown was, if there was really one.

I was actually staying closer to this place, which I think is technically Redding proper, but does seem to be much more horrible than most of the city.

I also have two friends, one who broke down in Redding and was robbed, and another who was forced to move down there while her brainwashed mother attended Shasta Bible College, which is a lot more nefarious than it sounds.

All roads just led to bad memories in Redding, I guess

[Torie]

Haha.  In fairness, I spent like one night there, and I was miserable for Redding-unrelated reasons.  But I remember downtown being a sprawly parking lot of a place, and East Redding being a tangled mess of cul de sacs, mass-produced houses and trailer parks.  The proximity of Shasta was lost on me, and I didn't get to see the river.  There wasn't much to do there.  I couldn't ever find out where the real downtown was, if there was really one.

I was actually staying closer to this place, which I think is technically Redding proper, but does seem to be much more horrible than most of the city.

I also have two friends, one who broke down in Redding and was robbed, and another who was forced to move down there while her brainwashed mother attended Shasta Bible College, which is a lot more nefarious than it sounds.

All roads just led to bad memories in Redding, I guess

Well if you use the adjective "horrible" with respect to Redding, I wonder what adjective you would use with respect to beautiful Bakersfield after you have the "pleasure" of visiting it up close and personal. 

[Sbane]

Haha.  In fairness, I spent like one night there, and I was miserable for Redding-unrelated reasons.  But I remember downtown being a sprawly parking lot of a place, and East Redding being a tangled mess of cul de sacs, mass-produced houses and trailer parks.  The proximity of Shasta was lost on me, and I didn't get to see the river.  There wasn't much to do there.  I couldn't ever find out where the real downtown was, if there was really one.

I was actually staying closer to this place, which I think is technically Redding proper, but does seem to be much more horrible than most of the city.

I also have two friends, one who broke down in Redding and was robbed, and another who was forced to move down there while her brainwashed mother attended Shasta Bible College, which is a lot more nefarious than it sounds.

All roads just led to bad memories in Redding, I guess

Well if you use the adjective "horrible" with respect to Redding, I wonder what adjective you would use with respect to beautiful Bakersfield after you have the "pleasure" of visiting it up close and personal. 

The central valley truly is a work of art.

[RI]

You can't get precinct data on most of the large county web sites, but it probably will require some massaging.

Bexar County: http://www.bexar.org/ISDMS/EL/PE/G/November%204%202008%20-%20Joint%20General%20and%20Special%20%20Election%20Totals.htm
Collin County: http://www.co.collin.tx.us/elections/election_results/2008/110408/110408CPP.pdf
Dallas County: http://www.dalcoelections.org/archivedresults/nov42008/PCT_BY_PCT_Results.zip
Denton County: http://elections.dentoncounty.com/20081104/Results/Total/precinct.pdf
El Paso County: http://www.co.el-paso.tx.us/elections/current/pct_by_pct.pdf
Harris County: http://www.harrisvotes.com/HISTORY/110408/Canvass/canvass.pdf
Tarrant County: http://tcweb.tarrantcounty.com/evote/lib/evote/2008/11042008/results/web_pct_contest_02.pdf
Travis County: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20081104/files/pct1.pdf

[jimrtex]

You can't can get precinct data on most of the large county web sites, but it probably will require some massaging.

Bexar County: http://www.bexar.org/ISDMS/EL/PE/G/November%204%202008%20-%20Joint%20General%20and%20Special%20%20Election%20Totals.htm
Collin County: http://www.co.collin.tx.us/elections/election_results/2008/110408/110408CPP.pdf
Dallas County: http://www.dalcoelections.org/archivedresults/nov42008/PCT_BY_PCT_Results.zip
Denton County: http://elections.dentoncounty.com/20081104/Results/Total/precinct.pdf
El Paso County: http://www.co.el-paso.tx.us/elections/current/pct_by_pct.pdf
Harris County: http://www.harrisvotes.com/HISTORY/110408/Canvass/canvass.pdf
Tarrant County: http://tcweb.tarrantcounty.com/evote/lib/evote/2008/11042008/results/web_pct_contest_02.pdf
Travis County: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20081104/files/pct1.pdf

I misspelled "can"

[RI]

El Paso County, TX

[RI]

Hidalgo County, TX


Lubbock County, TX

[Alcon]

Is that southwestern Lubbock County precinct Slaton?    How weird.

[RI]

Not precinct maps, but interesting nonetheless:

2008 Alaska General:

link: http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/rarohla/Alaska2008General.png

2008 Alaska Dem Primary:

link: http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/rarohla/Alaska2008DemPrim.png

[Verily]

Kerry won only Juneau, right? What was the swing like in Nome/that Bering coast borough?

Also, I'm guessing the Republican areas of Hidalgo County are the white enclaves? Although Hidalgo is 88% Hispanic, not sure how there could be any non-Hispanic majority precincts outside of the extremely rural ones, especially so scattered. Explanation?

[RI]

Kerry won only Juneau, right?

I believe Kerry won a couple in Anchorage and perhaps one in the far west as well...

What was the swing like in Nome/that Bering coast borough?

Election District 39 (Nome/Bering Strait):
2004: 51.39% R - 44.44% D
2008: 51.99% D - 44.81% R

[RI]

A very interesting map:

2008 Alaska Senate (Begich vs. Stevens)

link: http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp131/rarohla/Alaska2008Senate.png

[jimrtex]

Is that southwestern Lubbock County precinct Slaton?    How weird.

The Alaska maps are killing my browser.   A 25 megapixel image doesn't work very well when the browser is reducing it to 1% of that.  Not to mention the 24 bit color.

If you want leave a link to the giant maps.

[Hash]

A very interesting map:

2008 Alaska Senate (Begich vs. Stevens)
[image]

Quite a lopsided result for a very narrow victory.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

The Matanuska-Susitna area looks like Taliban-occupied territory.

[bgwah]

Are those Alaska maps by legislative district or something?

[RI]

Are those Alaska maps by legislative district or something?

Alaska reports results by election district, which end up being the equivalent of legislative districts.

[bgwah]

Also, I'm guessing the Republican areas of Hidalgo County are the white enclaves? Although Hidalgo is 88% Hispanic, not sure how there could be any non-Hispanic majority precincts outside of the extremely rural ones, especially so scattered. Explanation?

I made a map for you:



and just to re-post for easy comparison:

[memphis]

A very interesting map:

2008 Alaska Senate (Begich vs. Stevens)
[image]

Quite a lopsided result for a very narrow victory.

Happens all the time. You're just not used to the Democrat winning all the empty land.

[jimrtex]

Is that southwestern Lubbock County precinct Slaton?    How weird.

I assume you mean southeastern.

Slaton is split between the two precincts.

36 to the west is 67% A, 29% H, 3% B
38 to the east is 36% A, 52% H, 11% B

Slaton, TX was a one time RR town, and it is possible that the black population is a residual from that time (porters, etc.).  The 1990s evil Democrat gerrymander split the town of 6,000 people on the same boundary as the current precinct line, on its way to include an area of Democrat voters in Lubbock.  The CD line had the same little notch to the west going through Slaton, so that was likely an area of "Democrat" voters.

The Census Bureau site has VTD shapefile boundaries from the 2000 census (not all states defined these) - look under Maps.  Also VTD demographic data is availabe in American Factfinder under the PL-94-171 data.  There doesn't seem to be a way to do thematic maps for that data though.  Some of the VTD boundaries may have changed since 2000, but may not have.  Changes in election precincts requires pre-clearance under the VRA.  Not changing the boundaries doesn't require pre-clearance, and is thus easier.

[jimrtex]

Lubbock County, TX

On the Lubbock County data did you combine all the subsegments of the election precincts?  Lubbock County used countywide polling places where a voter could vote at any polling place in the county.  The correct ballot for a voter's election precinct would then be generated.  The county also conducted a couple of school district special elections with the general election.  Since school district boundaries don't always coincide with election precinct boundaries, it was necessary to have ballots specific to areas of an election precinct that were within or outside the school districts.  Lubbock County tabulated these areas separately.

[jimrtex]

Also, I'm guessing the Republican areas of Hidalgo County are the white enclaves? Although Hidalgo is 88% Hispanic, not sure how there could be any non-Hispanic majority precincts outside of the extremely rural ones, especially so scattered. Explanation?

More likely higher income that is coincident with a larger share of Anglos.

[Shilly]

Some miscellaneous county maps. All in standard atlas shades.

Flathead County, MT



Kootenai County, ID



Osceola County, FL


Nez Perce County, ID