Friday, June 17, 2016

The Electoral College Map (6/17/16)

Latest Update





Polling Quick Hits:
Washington:
The good news is that there is now polling data from Washington. However, that poll -- from Public Policy Polling -- was not all that revealing. In fact, it is the most Washington poll of Washington polls. Both the candidates' positions and margin are entirely in line with the majority of the polling in the Evergreen state over the last two cycles. Take for instance, PPP's June 2012 survey of Washington: Obama 54, Romney 41. The first glimpse of Washington 2016, then, shows a race squarely in the same low double digits (Democratic) area it has been.


NOTE: A description of the methodology behind the graduated weighted average of 2016 state-level polling that FHQ uses for these projections can be found here.


The Electoral College Spectrum1
HI-42
(7)
MN-10
(156)
NH-4
(245)
GA-16
(164)
SD-3
(53)
VT-3
(10)
WA-12
(168)
PA-20
(265)
MS-6
(148)
ND-3
(50)
MD-10
(20)
WI-10
(178)
VA-133
(278/273)
UT-6
(142)
NE-5
(47)
RI-4
(24)
NJ-14
(192)
OR-7
(285/260)
AK-3
(136)
AL-9
(42)
MA-11
(35)
NV-6
(198)
FL-29
(314/253)
IN-11
(133)
KY-8
(33)
IL-20
(55)
MI-16
(214)
IA-6
(320/224)
SC-9
(122)
AR-6
(25)
NY-29
(84)
NM-5
(219)
OH-18
(338/218)
TN-11
(113)
WV-5
(19)
DE-3
(87)
CT-7
(226)
AZ-11
(349/200)
MT-3
(102)
ID-4
(14)
CA-55
(142)
CO-9
(235)
NC-15
(364/189)
TX-38
(99)
OK-7
(10)
ME-4
(146)
KS-6
(241)
MO-10
(174)
LA-8
(61)
WY-3
(3)
1 Follow the link for a detailed explanation on how to read the Electoral College Spectrum.

2 The numbers in the parentheses refer to the number of electoral votes a candidate would have if he or she won all the states ranked prior to that state. If, for example, Trump won all the states up to and including Virginia (all Clinton's toss up states plus Virginia), he would have 273 electoral votes. Trump's numbers are only totaled through the states he would need in order to get to 270. In those cases, Clinton's number is on the left and Trumps's is on the right in bold italics.


To keep the figure to 50 cells, Washington, DC and its three electoral votes are included in the beginning total on the Democratic side of the spectrum. The District has historically been the most Democratic state in the Electoral College.

3 Virginia
 is the state where Clinton crosses the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidential election. That line is referred to as the victory line.



NOTE: Distinctions are made between states based on how much they favor one candidate or another. States with a margin greater than 10 percent between Clinton and Trump are "Strong" states. Those with a margin of 5 to 10 percent "Lean" toward one of the two (presumptive) nominees. Finally, states with a spread in the graduated weighted averages of both the candidates' shares of polling support less than 5 percent are "Toss Up" states. The darker a state is shaded in any of the figures here, the more strongly it is aligned with one of the candidates. Not all states along or near the boundaries between categories are close to pushing over into a neighboring group. Those most likely to switch -- those within a percentage point of the various lines of demarcation -- are included on the Watch List below.

The Watch List remains unchanged from the previous (6/16/16) update.


The Watch List1
State
Switch
Alaska
from Lean Trump
to Toss Up Trump
Missouri
from Toss Up Trump
to Toss Up Clinton
New Hampshire
from Lean Clinton
to Toss Up Clinton
New Jersey
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Pennsylvania
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Tennessee
from Lean Trump
to Strong Trump
Virginia
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Wisconsin
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
1 Graduated weighted average margin within a fraction of a point of changing categories.


Thursday, June 16, 2016

The Electoral College Map (6/16/16)




Polling Quick Hits:
California:
No, the recent survey of the Golden state from Survey Monkey and the LA Times (via Pollster) did not do anything but reinforce the fact that California is still reliably blue at the moment. And given the consistency of even the early state-level polling, that is not likely to change.

Iowa:
Over in first in the nation territory, the first new polling in Iowa since January continued to show a close race. The range established in the scant survey work thus far in the Hawkeye state is from tied to Clinton +8 and this PPP poll falls right in between. However, the bottom line in Iowa is that for a battleground state there just is not a lot of 2016 data with which to work. However, this poll displaces the tied poll as the most recent in the FHQ graduated weighed average for Iowa and widens the margin in Clinton's direction enough to pull it off the Watch List. Iowa is no longer within a percentage point of shifting across the partisan line into the Toss Up Trump category.

Virginia:
The picture in the Old Dominion is not significantly different from Iowa. The very earliest 2016 polls in Virginia demonstrate a bit more distance between Clinton and Trump than the more recent polling conducted in the time since both virtually wrapped up their respective nominations. That set of polls shows a state consistently in Clinton's column but one firmly in the Toss Up area. The newly released PPP survey did little to change that.

It is worth mentioning that these state-level polls -- especially those in traditionally competitive states -- have not shown the growth in Clinton's lead as in the national polling. The former secretary's consolidating of the Democratic base is evident there, but has not clearly stretched to the state level. But it is still early and polling has been pretty light in the post-clinch period of the race.



NOTE: A description of the methodology behind the graduated weighted average of 2016 state-level polling that FHQ uses for these projections can be found here.


The Electoral College Spectrum1
HI-42
(7)
WA-12
(158)
NH-4
(245)
GA-16
(164)
SD-3
(53)
VT-3
(10)
MN-10
(168)
PA-20
(265)
MS-6
(148)
ND-3
(50)
MD-10
(20)
WI-10
(178)
VA-133
(278/273)
UT-6
(142)
NE-5
(47)
RI-4
(24)
NJ-14
(192)
OR-7
(285/260)
AK-3
(136)
AL-9
(42)
MA-11
(35)
NV-6
(198)
FL-29
(314/253)
IN-11
(133)
KY-8
(33)
IL-20
(55)
MI-16
(214)
IA-6
(320/224)
SC-9
(122)
AR-6
(25)
NY-29
(84)
NM-5
(219)
OH-18
(338/218)
TN-11
(113)
WV-5
(19)
DE-3
(87)
CT-7
(226)
AZ-11
(349/200)
MT-3
(102)
ID-4
(14)
CA-55
(142)
CO-9
(235)
NC-15
(364/189)
TX-38
(99)
OK-7
(10)
ME-4
(146)
KS-6
(241)
MO-10
(174)
LA-8
(61)
WY-3
(3)
1 Follow the link for a detailed explanation on how to read the Electoral College Spectrum.

2 The numbers in the parentheses refer to the number of electoral votes a candidate would have if he or she won all the states ranked prior to that state. If, for example, Trump won all the states up to and including Virginia (all Clinton's toss up states plus Virginia), he would have 273 electoral votes. Trump's numbers are only totaled through the states he would need in order to get to 270. In those cases, Clinton's number is on the left and Trumps's is on the right in bold italics.


To keep the figure to 50 cells, Washington, DC and its three electoral votes are included in the beginning total on the Democratic side of the spectrum. The District has historically been the most Democratic state in the Electoral College.

3 Virginia
 is the state where Clinton crosses the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidential election. That line is referred to as the victory line.



NOTE: Distinctions are made between states based on how much they favor one candidate or another. States with a margin greater than 10 percent between Clinton and Trump are "Strong" states. Those with a margin of 5 to 10 percent "Lean" toward one of the two (presumptive) nominees. Finally, states with a spread in the graduated weighted averages of both the candidates' shares of polling support less than 5 percent are "Toss Up" states. The darker a state is shaded in any of the figures here, the more strongly it is aligned with one of the candidates. Not all states along or near the boundaries between categories are close to pushing over into a neighboring group. Those most likely to switch -- those within a percentage point of the various lines of demarcation -- are included on the Watch List below.

The Watch List loses Iowa from the previous (6/15/16) update.


The Watch List1
State
Switch
Alaska
from Lean Trump
to Toss Up Trump
Missouri
from Toss Up Trump
to Toss Up Clinton
New Hampshire
from Lean Clinton
to Toss Up Clinton
New Jersey
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Pennsylvania
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Tennessee
from Lean Trump
to Strong Trump
Virginia
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Wisconsin
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
1 Graduated weighted average margin within a fraction of a point of changing categories.


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Electoral College Map (6/15/16)




Polling Quick Hits:
Wisconsin:
It is not terribly instructive to focus on just one poll. Some chose to focus on the implications of the switch from registered to likely voters in the Marquette Law School survey of the Badger state (Clinton counterintuitively gained). However, FHQ was struck by the fact that regardless of the screen, this is only the second 2016 poll in the state to show Clinton up by anything other than double digits. That actually narrowed the gap -- ever so slightly -- between Clinton and Trump, drawing Wisconsin onto the Watch List below. It is still within the Strong Clinton category (>10 percent), but the FHQ average inched closer to the Lean Clinton group where the state has resided for much of the last two cycles.

Of course, it is still early and there have still only been a handful of polls conducted in the state in 2016. But thus far it appears as if Wisconsin has shifted a little in the direction of the Democrats which is consistent with the modest average uniform swing gleaned from state-level polling.


NOTE: A description of the methodology behind the graduated weighted average of 2016 state-level polling that FHQ uses for these projections can be found here.


The Electoral College Spectrum1
HI-42
(7)
WA-12
(158)
NH-4
(245)
GA-16
(164)
SD-3
(53)
VT-3
(10)
MN-10
(168)
PA-20
(265)
MS-6
(148)
ND-3
(50)
MD-10
(20)
WI-10
(178)
VA-133
(278/273)
UT-6
(142)
NE-5
(47)
RI-4
(24)
NJ-14
(192)
OR-7
(285/260)
AK-3
(136)
AL-9
(42)
MA-11
(35)
NV-6
(198)
FL-29
(314/253)
IN-11
(133)
KY-8
(33)
IL-20
(55)
MI-16
(214)
OH-18
(332/224)
SC-9
(122)
AR-6
(25)
NY-29
(84)
NM-5
(219)
AZ-11
(343/206)
TN-11
(113)
WV-5
(19)
DE-3
(87)
CT-7
(226)
NC-15
(358/195)
MT-3
(102)
ID-4
(14)
CA-55
(142)
CO-9
(235)
IA-6
(364/180)
TX-38
(99)
OK-7
(10)
ME-4
(146)
KS-6
(241)
MO-10
(174)
LA-8
(61)
WY-3
(3)
1 Follow the link for a detailed explanation on how to read the Electoral College Spectrum.

2 The numbers in the parentheses refer to the number of electoral votes a candidate would have if he or she won all the states ranked prior to that state. If, for example, Trump won all the states up to and including Virginia (all Clinton's toss up states plus Virginia), he would have 273 electoral votes. Trump's numbers are only totaled through the states he would need in order to get to 270. In those cases, Clinton's number is on the left and Trumps's is on the right in bold italics.


To keep the figure to 50 cells, Washington, DC and its three electoral votes are included in the beginning total on the Democratic side of the spectrum. The District has historically been the most Democratic state in the Electoral College.

3 Virginia
 is the state where Clinton crosses the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidential election. That line is referred to as the victory line.



NOTE: Distinctions are made between states based on how much they favor one candidate or another. States with a margin greater than 10 percent between Clinton and Trump are "Strong" states. Those with a margin of 5 to 10 percent "Lean" toward one of the two (presumptive) nominees. Finally, states with a spread in the graduated weighted averages of both the candidates' shares of polling support less than 5 percent are "Toss Up" states. The darker a state is shaded in any of the figures here, the more strongly it is aligned with one of the candidates. Not all states along or near the boundaries between categories are close to pushing over into a neighboring group. Those most likely to switch -- those within a percentage point of the various lines of demarcation -- are included on the Watch List below.


The Watch List adds Wisconsin to the previous (6/14/16) update.

The Watch List1
State
Switch
Alaska
from Lean Trump
to Toss Up Trump
Iowa
from Toss Up Clinton
to Toss Up Trump
Missouri
from Toss Up Trump
to Toss Up Clinton
New Hampshire
from Lean Clinton
to Toss Up Clinton
New Jersey
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Pennsylvania
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Tennessee
from Lean Trump
to Strong Trump
Virginia
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Wisconsin
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
1 Graduated weighted average margin within a fraction of a point of changing categories.


Recent Posts:
The Electoral College Map (6/14/16)

The Electoral College Map (6/13/16)

2016 Republican Delegate Allocation: SOUTH DAKOTA


Follow FHQ on TwitterGoogle+ and Facebook or subscribe by Email.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The Electoral College Map (6/14/16)




Polling Quick Hits:
Changes (June 14)
StateBeforeAfter
KansasStrong TrumpLean Clinton
Kansas:
The Sunflower state is one of those states that lacked polling data in the first iteration of the FHQ electoral college projection. After adjusting the 2012 data with the average swing given the available polling in 2016, Kansas was a comfortable Trump state. The margin was nearly 20 percentage points. However, the outlook changed for Kansas with the addition of the recent Zogby/Kansas Health Foundation survey showing Clinton in the lead.

The take home message from that poll is less that Clinton is ahead, but rather that a sizable chunk of the survey respondents -- a little more than one-fifth -- in a reliably red state are on the fence. And while Clinton's share in the survey is running about 5 points better than where Obama ended up in 2012, Trump's share lags well back of Romney's vote share in Kansas four years ago. Over 20 points. The bulk of that 20 percent has shifted from the Republican column to the undecided column.

That makes this seem more than a little like the Kansas Senate race from 2014. Independent Greg Orman displaced the Democratic candidate and was neck and neck with incumbent Pat Roberts (R) in the polling leading into the election day. Roberts ended up with a double digit win as most Republicans came home.

That situation may be similar to the current presidential race in the Sunflower state. However, it could also be that Kansas joins Utah as a state that is seemingly shifting away from the presumptive Republican nominee (but not necessarily toward Secretary Clinton).

Yes, it is still early, but additional polls in not only Kansas but across the traditionally and most reliably red states would help to fill out this picture.

--
One omission from the post rolling out the 2016 projection that bears mentioning is that the picture in the aggregated state polls is a little rosier for Clinton than the national polls are. The state polls currently have Clinton hovering in the area of Obama 2008 in the electoral college whereas the national polls have the former Secretary ahead by a margin at the moment that is more comparable to where President Obama ended up relative to Romney on election day 2012. Both measures -- national and (aggregated) state polls -- are pointing in the same direction.



NOTE: A description of the methodology behind the graduated weighted average of 2016 state-level polling that FHQ uses for these projections can be found here.


The Electoral College Spectrum1
HI-42
(7)
WA-12
(158)
NH-4
(245)
GA-16
(164)
SD-3
(53)
VT-3
(10)
MN-10
(168)
PA-20
(265)
MS-6
(148)
ND-3
(50)
MD-10
(20)
WI-10
(178)
VA-133
(278/273)
UT-6
(142)
NE-5
(47)
RI-4
(24)
NJ-14
(192)
OR-7
(285/260)
AK-3
(136)
AL-9
(42)
MA-11
(35)
NV-6
(198)
FL-29
(314/253)
IN-11
(133)
KY-8
(33)
IL-20
(55)
MI-16
(214)
OH-18
(332/224)
SC-9
(122)
AR-6
(25)
NY-29
(84)
NM-5
(219)
AZ-11
(343/206)
TN-11
(113)
WV-5
(19)
DE-3
(87)
CT-7
(226)
NC-15
(358/195)
MT-3
(102)
ID-4
(14)
CA-55
(142)
CO-9
(235)
IA-6
(364/180)
TX-38
(99)
OK-7
(10)
ME-4
(146)
KS-6
(241)
MO-10
(174)
LA-8
(61)
WY-3
(3)
1 Follow the link for a detailed explanation on how to read the Electoral College Spectrum.

2 The numbers in the parentheses refer to the number of electoral votes a candidate would have if he or she won all the states ranked prior to that state. If, for example, Trump won all the states up to and including Virginia (all Clinton's toss up states plus Virginia), he would have 273 electoral votes. Trump's numbers are only totaled through the states he would need in order to get to 270. In those cases, Clinton's number is on the left and Trumps's is on the right in bold italics.


To keep the figure to 50 cells, Washington, DC and its three electoral votes are included in the beginning total on the Democratic side of the spectrum. The District has historically been the most Democratic state in the Electoral College.

3 Virginia
 is the state where Clinton crosses the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidential election. That line is referred to as the victory line.



NOTE: Distinctions are made between states based on how much they favor one candidate or another. States with a margin greater than 10 percent between Clinton and Trump are "Strong" states. Those with a margin of 5 to 10 percent "Lean" toward one of the two (presumptive) nominees. Finally, states with a spread in the graduated weighted averages of both the candidates' shares of polling support less than 5 percent are "Toss Up" states. The darker a state is shaded in any of the figures here, the more strongly it is aligned with one of the candidates. Not all states along or near the boundaries between categories are close to pushing over into a neighboring group. Those most likely to switch -- those within a percentage point of the various lines of demarcation -- are included on the Watch List below.


The Watch List remains unchanged from the previous (6/13/16) update.

The Watch List1
State
Switch
Alaska
from Lean Trump
to Toss Up Trump
Iowa
from Toss Up Clinton
to Toss Up Trump
Missouri
from Toss Up Trump
to Toss Up Clinton
New Hampshire
from Lean Clinton
to Toss Up Clinton
New Jersey
from Strong Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Pennsylvania
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
Tennessee
from Lean Trump
to Strong Trump
Virginia
from Toss Up Clinton
to Lean Clinton
1 Graduated weighted average margin within a fraction of a point of changing categories.


Recent Posts:
The Electoral College Map (6/13/16)

2016 Republican Delegate Allocation: SOUTH DAKOTA

2016 Republican Delegate Allocation: NEW MEXICO


Follow FHQ on TwitterGoogle+ and Facebook or subscribe by Email.