Red states and blue states

Epic card · No. 4318

Starting with the 2000 United States presidential election, the term red state has been used to refer to states which predominantly vote for the Republican Party, and the term blue state has been used to refer to states which predominantly vote for the Democratic Party. By contrast, states where the predominant vote fluctuates between Democratic and Republican nominees are known as swing states or purple states. Examining patterns within states reveals that the reversal of the two parties' geographic bases has happened at the state level, but it is more complicated locally, with urban–rural divides associated with many of the largest changes. All states contain both Democratic voters and Republican voters (i.e., they are "purple") and only appear blue or red on the electoral map because of the winner-take-all system used by most states in the Electoral College. However, the perception of some states as "blue" and others as "red", based on plurality or majority support for either party...

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