My Wikipedia Maps and Articles

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

So there were already presidential election county maps at both the state and national level. But they were low-quality JPG files that looked kind of fuzzy and low-quality, and good luck figuring out how tiny but significant places like the boroughs of NYC or St. Louis, MO, or San Francisco voted.

I was banned from the Atlas, so I sought to improve Wikipedia's coverage of U.S. elections, from nationwide presidential county maps to NYC mayoral election borough maps.

So I embarked on a project to convert all U.S. election maps to shaded SVG format maps.

No they don't use Atlas colors. I have reverse-color versions that use Atlas colors, but I don't think they look as good. Mainly because it is easier to tell the red shades apart, and Republicans usually win large swaths of the county map with 70, 80, 90+%.

So far I have completed all nationwide presidential election maps going back to 1872. My project has been a bit stalled since then but I hope to get back on it. I switched to making a lot of state-level articles and maps, and more recently have been working on NYC mayoral elections, creating the shaded borough maps for elections from 2013 going back so far to 1953. (I also had to create the previously non-existent articles for 1989-1953).

Being vector-based, the SVG format allows you to zoom in as close as possible, depending on your computer and browser, without any loss of quality. (For example the maps look a LOT better on my MacBook than my antique work computer monitor.)

You can also easily generate a static PNG version of the maps of any size, again, without any loss of quality on Wikimedia where they are uploaded, and use it as a normal image file on a forum.

As an example, here is the 2012 map: Click here: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2012nationwidecountymapshadedbypercentagewon.svg and click on the map to view it in fully zoomable format, or render it as a PNG of any size you want.

Here are 1992,1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, in PNG format at a width of 750 pixels:












Here are 1956 and 1960:





Here are 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924, and 1928 followed by 1932/1936:















For final examples here are 1948 and 1968- I especially HATE the fact that pre-existing maps used green, a color associated with progressivism, to represent backward racist Dixiecrats like Thurmond and Wallace:





Also as mentioned, I have made separate state maps, like New York State 1956 compared to 1960 and 1964 (all 400 pixel width):








Pretty much anywhere on Wikipedia you see a map like that, I made it. Mainly to improve the quality of election maps. If you want to view this format of map for a particular election, just go to the Wikipedia page for that election, e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1948

I know Averroës Nix was wondering where these maps came from while I was gone and said he was using them as his desktop and I was quite flattered. Wikipedia's coverage of presidential elections was woefully inadequate. (The sortable state-by-state election result tables for each presidential article from 2000-1872 were also something I added). And I was tired of looking at low-quality JPEG presidential election county maps and upon zooming in (and losing quality with every zoom) realizing the boroughs of New York City weren't even filled in because they would be too small to see anyway, even when those tiny little boroughs outvoted the rest of New York State.

Remember the images I posted here are just static PNGs, if you go view the full SVG versions (and have a modern computer/monitor) you can zoom in as close as possible and just become immersed in election map bliss. What do the forumites of Atlas think of these maps? Any feedback?

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Wow. These are amazing! I really like how easy the shifts from 1956 to 1960 are visible. Good job!

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

By the way here are the direct links to the Wikimedia pages for each of nationwide county maps I made thus far. If you click on the map itself, it will open the superior SVG format of the map; it should first appear small and in the top left corner of your browser and you will have to zoom in.

Zoom in on a PC with "Ctrl" and "+".

Zoom in on a Mac with "Command" and "+".

How close you can zoom in depends on your computer hardware, monitor, browser, etc. Firefox on my MacBook lets me zoom in until all I can see is dark blue from living in the middle of Manhattan or San Francisco. Chrome lets me zoom in up to 500%, close enough to see how all those tiny counties voted but not close enough to get right up in their faces.

In terms of rendering it into a static PNG image file to post on a forum or use elsewhere....

While Wikimedia gives you the direct option to generate a PNG of a width of 200, 500, 1000, or 2000 pixels, you can customize to any width you want afterward just by editing the URL.

For example if you choose to render the map as 500 pixels from the Wikimedia choices:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/1976nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg/500px-1976nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg.png



You can edit the "500" in that URL to any size you want, for example if you decide 1976px is the ideal map size for the 1976 election:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/1976nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg/1976px-1976nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg.png




http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2012nationwidecountymapshadedbypercentagewon.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2004nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2000nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1996nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1992nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1988nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1984nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1980nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1976nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1972nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1968nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1964nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1960nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1956nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1952nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1948nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1944nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1940nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1936nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1932nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1928nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1924nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1920nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1916nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1912nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1908nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1904nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1900nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1896nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1892nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1888nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1884nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1880nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1876nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1872nationwidecountymapshadedbyvoteshare.svg

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Wow. These are amazing! I really like how easy the shifts from 1956 to 1960 are visible. Good job!

Thanks!

Yeah I was really disappointed in how existing maps used poor color contrast (in addition to being low quality overall) that hid dramatic changes from one election to another.

What struck me when I first started (working backward from 2012) was actually how the existing maps didn't really show why Indiana swung from 60-39 Bush in 2004 to 50-49 Obama in 2008. You see Marion County go 60%+ Dem and a few other counties flip Dem but it still looks like a sea of solid blue on Dave's maps and Wikipedia's old maps to me. Whereas I think the shading scheme I chose for the GOP on my maps clearly shows a strong Dem swing all across Indiana even in counties that still voted Republican, from 60 and 70% Republican to only 50% Republican, when you compare the 2004 and 2008 maps.

Plus on my previous computer, which was far from a cheap piece of crap, Dave's >40% blue shade was indistinguishable from the >50% blue shade.

So I wanted a color scheme with far more contrast between colors along with being higher quality (and zoomable) so that tiny counties could still be seen.

[buritobr]

Good job. Congratulations.

Sometimes, these maps are criticized for presenting a distorted view, since there are many counties which have large area and almost no population and some counties have small area and very big population. Obama won but the blue area of the map is very small (the red area of Dave Leip's is very small).
I don't agree with this kind of criticism. I don't like distorted maps who make the counties look like the population size. I think your maps who showed Obama with a small area and Romney with a big area good to show that Obama support was urban and Romney support was rural. This is not the distorted reality. This is the reality.

Your maps showed very well how the USA has changed in the last 30 years. 1988 and 2004 had twin elections. Bush against a Massachussets liberal. Although Bush's margin in 1988 was bigger, the red area of the map was bigger in 2004. And we saw many light blue and light red counties in 1988, and many dark blue and dark red counties in 2004.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Good job. Congratulations.

Sometimes, these maps are criticized for presenting a distorted view, since there are many counties which have large area and almost no population and some counties have small area and very big population. Obama won but the blue area of the map is very small (the red area of Dave Leip's is very small).
I don't agree with this kind of criticism. I don't like distorted maps who make the counties look like the population size. I think your maps who showed Obama with a small area and Romney with a big area good to show that Obama support was urban and Romney support was rural. This is not the distorted reality. This is the reality.

Your maps showed very well how the USA has changed in the last 30 years. 1988 and 2004 had twin elections. Bush against a Massachussets liberal. Although Bush's margin in 1988 was bigger, the red area of the map was bigger in 2004. And we saw many light blue and light red counties in 1988, and many dark blue and dark red counties in 2004.

Yeah it's an interesting example of the polarization, and urban-rural divide mentioned earlier, to compare 1988, a 53-45 Republican popular vote win (but electoral college borderline landslide) to 2012- or even 2008. There are a lot fewer >50% counties in rural America (along with a lot fewer Dem counties) and lot more >70% and >80% counties. Conversely the cities have trended Dem, especially compared to 1988 when H.W. was very popular in the white suburbs when crime and law and order issues dominated. Dukakis got only 56% in Cook County, llinois, and won the five boroughs of New York City overall with only 66% of the vote, compared to Obama taking 76% in Cook County and NYC overall going 81% Democratic. In 1984, Queens County, New York went only 53-46 Mondale compared to compared to 2012 when Obama won the borough 79-19.


1988 versus 2008...similarly sized popular vote victories for the Republican and the Democrat, respectively, yet looking at the county maps you'd have thought the GOP made major gains if you weren't aware of the fact that most of those deep red counties are sparsely populated while the tiny hard to see urban counties with massive populations have gotten bluer than ever.





Just look at Texas, which voted fairly similarly in 1988 and 2008 overall, except Dukakis-Bentsen performed much more strongly in rural Texas while losing the urban Dallas, Harris (Houston), and Bexar (San Antonio) counties. Obama slightly outperformed Dukakis in Texas just by winning the urban counties (the heavily Hispanic counties on the southern border of Texas are the one region that remained consistently heavily Democratic in both elections).

[buritobr]

Other observation I made in these maps is that in 1952, Eisenhower won in some counties along the Mississippi River, in the black belt. These counties vote Democratic nowadays. The counties in Mississippi which were heavy Stevenson are heavy Republican nowadays.

Blacks didn't vote in the South in 1952. So, the white minority in the black belt voted for Eisenhower. And the white majority in the rest of the state voted for Stevenson. Why?

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

GREAT WORK!

Please do 1868... that one doesn't even have a sortable column.

Please fix this one, it sucks (1812)

Yeah actually none of the articles had sortable columns except for the post-2000 elections. I had to take the tedious time to add those but I thought it was worth it. 2000 had a column table but it only had the raw votes, no percentages, not very helpful.

The Wikipedia tables are much easier and quicker to navigate than trying to sort states by percentage or margin on the antique Atlas website.

And yeah I'd like to get back on it. I have a draft of an 1868 map but I'm not satisfied with it yet. The further back you go the harder it gets though, even though there are fewer counties. By far the most annoying and difficult part is redrawing county borders, especially when they are crazy shapes, and you have like one county that was split and combined with 4 surrounding counties that you now need to re-merge.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Other observation I made in these maps is that in 1952, Eisenhower won in some counties along the Mississippi River, in the black belt. These counties vote Democratic nowadays. The counties in Mississippi which were heavy Stevenson are heavy Republican nowadays.

Blacks didn't vote in the South in 1952. So, the white minority in the black belt voted for Eisenhower. And the white majority in the rest of the state voted for Stevenson. Why?

I assume you are referring to 1956? In 1952, Alabama was much more Democratic. One factor may have been that Stevenson's running mate that year was John Sparkman of Alabama.



As for 1956...

Well Montgomery is explainable by the fact that the GOP basically started breaking apart the Democratic Solid South in the more urban/suburban areas while the rural areas remained loyal Dem. Eisenhower also won Jefferson County (Birmingham) and Shelby County.

There were some strange swings among Southern whites in the 50s, with Louisiana going from 53-47 Stevenson in '52 (which was still actually quite impressive for Eisenhower, I think the strongest GOP showing in Louisiana since Reconstruction) to 53-40 Eisenhower in '56.

Eisenhower of course also won Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and Florida twice, and Missouri once. And the blue Stevenson counties were light blue with Eisenhower breaking 40% of the vote in many Southern Dem counties that were consistently voting 70, 80, 90+ Dem less than a decade earlier.

I don't know if there were any blacks voting in Macon, AL; if blacks were fully franchised then I assume Macon would have gone much more strongly for Eisenhower, but perhaps with such a large percentage black population the few blacks who might have been able to vote in 56 combined with Eisenhower's overall decent strength among Southern whites might have been able to narrowly flip the county. Meanwhile post-CRA, Macon, AL was the strongest Unpledged (de facto LBJ) county in 1964 while Barry Goldwater dominated the state.




So the Solid South in general was just falling apart for the Dems by the 50s. Note Montgomery and Jefferson counties in Alabama also both both voted for Nixon in 60...and voted for Ford over Carter in 76, while rural Alabama was solidly Dem both times.

[Boston Bread]

Stevenson won the northern black vote. Also I'd assume racial backlash against democratic civil rights started in 1948 when democrats started supporting civil rights which is why whites in black-heavy counties began to defect.

[buritobr]

No, I am talking about 1952, about counties in Mississippi close to the border of Louisiana and Arkansas. Counties that Eisenhower won in 1952 and nowadays are Democratic.

In 1956, Eisenhower performed very bad in Mississippi.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Stevenson won the northern black vote. Also I'd assume racial backlash against democratic civil rights started in 1948 when democrats started supporting civil rights which is why whites in black-heavy counties began to defect.

Am I wrong in saying the black vote swung NYC to Stevenson?

I made this NYC election table and made a bunch of edits to this Wiki article too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#Politics

Stevenson only won NYC (the 5 boroughs) 54-44 in 1952 and barely won 51-49 in 1956. (In both cases Stevenson won the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, which haven't voted GOP since 1924, while Eisenhower won Queens and Staten Island). I think 1956 was the strongest Republican performance among black voters since Herbert Hoover dominated the black vote in 1932, though they still voted Dem by a strong majority overall. The black vote probably did contribute to helping to keep the non-stop Democratic winning streak in NYC since 1928 going. I don't know how popular Eisenhower was with Irish and other ethnic immigrant groups in NYC. (Boston similarly only narrowly voted for Stevenson, preserving it's 1928-present Dem winning streak as well)

[Miles]

Wow, great. I had noticed lately the quality of Wikipedia's maps had gone up. I've made some occasional contributions to Wikipedia (e.g, my precinct map for NC at the bottom of this page) but nothing like this. Good job!