Author: Douglas Kronaizl

  • Analyzing demographics of the Pivot Counties with highest, lowest turnout in 2020

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    Two-hundred and six Pivot Counties voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. In the 2020 presidential election, 181 Retained Pivot Counties voted for Trump again, and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties voted for Joe Biden (D). Demographically, Retained Pivot Counties tended to be less populous, with an average…

  • 19 states saw at least one party with a net gain of seats in both state legislative chambers

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    Following the Nov. 3, 2020, elections, there were 19 states where either Democrats, Republicans, or both had a net gain of seats in both the state House and Senate. Democrats had a net gain in both chambers of six states, seeing their largest net gains in Connecticut, where Democrats picked up a net of six…

  • Decade-low 227 state legislative incumbents defeated on Nov. 3

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    In the November 2020 general election, 227 state legislative incumbents were defeated, the lowest number in any even-numbered year in the past decade. By party, those defeated incumbents include 165 Democrats, 52 Republicans, and 10 independents and members of a third party. The 227 incumbents defeated marked a 29.5% decrease from the 322 defeated in…

  • A closer look at turnout in Georgia’s statewide runoff elections

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    Although most of the nation’s focus during the Jan. 5 Georgia runoffs was on the two U.S. Senate seats, there was one other runoff that didn’t receive as much attention. Voters in Georgia also decided the District 4 race for the state Public Utilities Commission (PSC), which resulted in a first for the Peach State. …

  • 315 state legislative seats flipped partisan control in the November 2020 elections

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    On Nov. 3, 2020, 5,875 state legislative seats were up for regularly scheduled elections across 86 of the nation’s 99 state legislative chambers. As a result of the election, control of 315 seats flipped from one party to another. Republicans gained a net 141 seats, Democrats lost a net 133 seats, and independent and third…

  • Biden wins all six Reverse-Pivot Counties that voted McCain-Romney-Clinton

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    Following the 2016 presidential election, Ballotpedia identified six Reverse-Pivot Counties that voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016 after voting for John McCain (R) in 2008 and Mitt Romney (R) in 2012.  All six of 2016’s Reverse-Pivot Counties voted for Biden in 2020. These counties have a median population of 785,915. Voters there cast 4,015,613…

  • A closer look at voter turnout in Retained and Boomerang Pivot counties

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    Ballotpedia has been analyzing the 206 Pivot Counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. This year, we have introduced two new categories: Retained Pivot Counties, which voted for Trump again in 2020, and Boomerang Pivot Counties, which voted for Joe Biden (D). Based on unofficial…

  • A closer look at the demographics of Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties

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    Ballotpedia has been analyzing the 206 Pivot Counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. This year, we have introduced two new categories: Retained Pivot Counties, which voted for Trump again in 2020, and Boomerang Pivot Counties, which voted for Joe Biden (D). Based on unofficial…

  • Four Pivot Counties flip from Trump to Biden as results continue to be updated

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    Ballotpedia has been analyzing the 206 Pivot Counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016 by creating two new categories: Retained Pivot Counties, which voted for Trump again in 2020, and Boomerang Pivot Counties, which voted for Joe Biden (D). The analysis continues to shift as…

  • A closer look at historical margins of victory in Boomerang and Retained Pivot Counties

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    Following the 2016 presidential election, there were 206 Pivot Counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 before voting for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Based on unofficial 2020 results, there were 22 Boomerang Pivot Counties, which flipped to Joe Biden (D), and 174 Retained Pivot Counties, which voted for Trump again.…