2020 General Election Map Analysis and Insights

Analysis of the 2020 General Election Map

Overview

• Title: "Land doesn't vote. People do."
• Main Focus: The image presents a dashboard with a map of the 2020 General Election results across counties in the United States and a scatterplot showing the margin of victory versus total votes.
• Data Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, 2018, "County Presidential Election Returns 2000-2020".

Left Panel: 2020 General Election Map

• Map Visualization:
  • Counties Displayed: Each county is colored based on the winning party (Red for Republicans, Blue for Democrats).
  • Geographical Distribution:
    • Western and Midwestern US predominantly red (Republican).
    • Coasts and major urban centers predominantly blue (Democratic).
  • Hover Functionality: Provides additional details about individual counties when hovered.

Insights from the Map:

• Urban vs. Rural Divide:
  • Urban counties tend to lean Democratic (blue).
  • Rural areas are more likely to be Republican (red).
• Significant Blue Pockets:
  • In states like California, New York, and Illinois, majority of the counties are blue.

Right Panel: Margin of Victory vs. Total Votes

• Scatter Plot Representation:
  • Axes:
    • X-Axis: Margin (Republican Win on the left, Democratic Win on the right).
    • Y-Axis: Total Votes (Logarithmic scale).
  • Color Coding: Follows the same color scheme (Red for Republican wins and Blue for Democratic wins).

Insights from the Scatter Plot:

• Distribution:
  • The distribution shows a clear partisan split.
  • Large blue clusters indicate many votes in counties won by Democrats.
  • Red clusters, though smaller in vote count, show a widespread win in terms of the number of counties.
• Logarithmic Axis for Total Votes:
  • Helps in visualizing the wide range of vote counts across different counties.

Additional Information

• Functional Features:
  • Map Method: Traditional County Map.
  • Color Method: Winner.
  • Election Year: 2020.
  • Interactive Elements: Allows users to hover and select data points for detailed insights.

Final Thoughts:

• Electoral Trends:
  • The visualization clearly emphasizes the disparity between land area and population density in election results.
  • The statement, "Land doesn't vote. People do.", highlights that populous areas significantly influence election outcomes.
• Usefulness:
  • Such visualizations are crucial for understanding the geographical and demographic factors in electoral politics.
  • They can guide both political strategists and scholars in their analysis and planning.

Reference: