{"id":18421,"date":"2024-11-08T18:03:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T18:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anychart.com\/blog\/?p=18421"},"modified":"2024-11-15T16:50:01","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T16:50:01","slug":"us-election-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anychart.com\/blog\/2024\/11\/08\/us-election-maps\/","title":{"rendered":"27 Election Maps of 2024 U.S. Presidential Vote Results \u2014 DataViz Weekly Special Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>The 2024 U.S. presidential election<\/strong> has concluded, and media outlets worldwide are offering a plethora of data graphics to convey the election results<\/strong>. In this special edition of DataViz Weekly<\/a>, we\u2019ve curated a collection of over twenty election maps<\/strong>, showcasing diverse ways to represent voting data \u2014\u00a0cartograms, choropleth maps<\/a>, bubble maps<\/a>, and more. Whether you\u2019re a data enthusiast, professional, or simply intrigued by the 2024 election outcomes, explore the latest U.S. election maps from top media!<\/strong><\/p>\n

? Also see our previous special editions with\u00a0election maps:\u00a0<\/em>2020 U.S. election maps<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>2024 UK election maps<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Cartograms of U.S. Election Results<\/h2>\n

Cartograms like grid maps \u2014 also known as tile maps, tile grid maps, and equal-area unit maps \u2014 are often used in visualizing U.S. election results. They typically represent each state or electoral vote as a uniform shape (like a square or hexagon), neutralizing\u00a0the distortion caused by geographic area differences. The tiles are usually filled with the color of the winning candidate’s party: blue for Democrats (Kamala Harris in 2024) and red for Republicans (Donald Trump in 2024).<\/p>\n

Here are some examples \u2014 from French Le Monde<\/em>, American CBS News<\/em>, British The Independent<\/em>, and Australian ABC News<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Basic Cartograms<\/h3>\n

#1. Le Monde: Basic Cartogram<\/h4>\n

\"Basic<\/a>
\nLe Monde<\/em><\/a> presents one of the most straightforward and efficient election maps, focusing on the essential results. The map is a geographic\u00a0visualization of the United States divided into states, each containing a grid of square tiles. Each tile of the cartogram represents one Electoral College vote, colored according to the candidate who secured that vote. Hovering over a state\u2019s grid reveals the total electoral votes in the appearing tooltip<\/a> along with a comparison with the 2020 election results.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#2. CBS News:\u00a0Basic Grid Map<\/h4>\n

\"Basic<\/a>
\nCBS News<\/em><\/a> offers a classic grid map cartogram with one square per state, colored based on the winning candidate. The\u00a0legend<\/a>\u00a0explains colors not only for the winners (red and blue) but also intermediary statuses (Likely, Lean, and Toss-Up), indicating real-time updates likely took place on Election Day (which seems to be the case for all the maps in this election map collection). Each state is labeled<\/a> with its abbreviation and electoral vote count. The tooltip displayed on hover shows votes and percentages for the top two candidates, highlighting the winner.<\/p>\n

Data source: Edison Research and\u00a0The National Election Pool (NEP).<\/em><\/p>\n

Hexagon Maps<\/h3>\n

#3. The Independent: Hexagon Map with Hover Interactivity<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nThe Independent<\/em><\/a>\u2019s election map is a hexagon cartogram where each electoral vote is represented as a hexagon, grouped by state. State colors are typical \u2014 red\u00a0or blue (or gray for states still counting at the time of writing). No supplementary labels are shown initially. Hovering over a state brings up a tooltip with more details like the state\u2019s name and percentages for the top two candidates.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#4. ABC News (Australia): Hexagon Map with Click Interactivity<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nAustralian ABC News<\/em><\/a> provides a hexagon cartogram similar to The Independent<\/em>\u2019s. The differences lie in the details. ABC News<\/em>\u2019s map displays state abbreviations as labels and shows nothing when hovering. However, clicking on a state reveals more about its results, including votes and percentages for the\u00a0two\u00a0leaders.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

Choropleth Maps of U.S. Election Results<\/h2>\n

Choropleth maps<\/a> are also commonly used for visualizing U.S. election outcomes. Similarly to cartograms, they are typically colored based on the leading or winning candidate’s party affiliation (red for Republicans as Donald Trump in the 2024 election, and blue for Democrats as Kamala Harris in 2024). In addition, choropleths often include drill-down<\/a> capabilities to see county-level details.<\/p>\n

? Learn how to create a choropleth map using JavaScript<\/a><\/em>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here are some examples from the latest presidential election \u2014 from 270toWin<\/em>, The Hill<\/em>, CNN<\/em>, ABC News<\/em>, BBC<\/em>, and Fox News<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Choropleth Maps with Drill Down<\/h3>\n

#5. 270toWin: Choropleth Map<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\n270toWin<\/em><\/a> offers a traditional choropleth map representing each state’s results. States are labeled with abbreviations and electoral vote counts, including splits in Nebraska and Maine. Clicking on a state drills down to county-level results on a separate page, also using the choropleth mapping technique. While the national map doesn\u2019t show tooltips on hover, hovering over counties on state pages displays votes and percentages for up to five top candidates.<\/p>\n

Data source: Decision Desk HQ.<\/em><\/p>\n

#6. The Hill: Choropleth Map<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nThe Hill<\/em><\/a>\u2019s election map is another choropleth map with the drill-down capability. State labels include only abbreviations. Hovering over a state shows results in absolute votes and percentages for up to five leaders. Clicking on a state opens its county-level choropleth map, similar to 270toWin<\/em>\u2019s representation.<\/p>\n

Data source:\u00a0Decision Desk HQ.<\/em><\/p>\n

#7. CNN: Choropleth Map with Lead Size<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nCNN<\/em><\/a>\u00a0provides two choropleth map views for an expanded geographic look at the 2024 U.S. presidential election results. The first shows states with their abbreviations. A key difference from previous choropleth maps is that here states where a flip occurred, compared to the 2020 winner’s party, are hatch-filled with diagonal lines. Hovering reveals votes and percentages for up to six candidates in the tooltip. The second choropleth map visualizes lead sizes using gradient color scales<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In both map views, clicking on a state zooms into the state\u2019s division into counties and their voting results on the same map. You can easily zoom out when needed. There\u2019s also a toggle to view the key races only.<\/p>\n

Data source: Edison Research and\u00a0The National Election Pool (NEP).<\/em><\/p>\n

#8. ABC News: Accessible Choropleth Map<\/h4>\n

\"Accessible<\/a>
\nABC News<\/em><\/a>\u2019s choropleth map looks similar to 270toWin<\/em>\u2019s\u00a0but includes flip state indicators like CNN<\/em>\u2019s. It represents Maine and Nebraska\u2019s split votes using differently colored stripes. While hovering doesn\u2019t provide substantial additional information, clicking on a state zooms into county details like with CNN<\/em>\u2019s map, showing results for up to four candidates on the right.<\/p>\n

A standout feature of ABC News<\/em>\u2019s map is its accessibility mode for color-blind users. It\u00a0can be activated by clicking the eye icon above the zoom controls<\/a>, which updates the contrasting settings and adds hatch fills<\/a> to the color scheme.<\/p>\n

Data source: Edison Research and\u00a0The National Election Pool (NEP).<\/em><\/p>\n

Choropleth Maps with Historical Context<\/h3>\n

#9. BBC: Choropleth Maps with Results from Previous Elections<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nThe BBC<\/em><\/a>‘s U.S. presidential election map labels states with abbreviations and highlights flipped ones,\u00a0similar to CNN<\/em>‘s approach.\u00a0Hovering displays votes and percentages for the top three candidates and the 2020 winner. Clicking on a state zooms into county-level results.<\/p>\n

The key differentiator of the BBC<\/em>\u2019s map is the availability of previous results from 2020, 2016, 2012, and 2008, which can be visualized on the same choropleth map with one click. You can switch to a previous election and see the winner in the tooltip; for example, in the 2008 view, you’ll see the 2004 winner.<\/p>\n

Data source: Edison Research and\u00a0The National Election Pool (NEP).<\/em><\/p>\n

#10. Fox News: Granular Choropleth Map with Previous Results<\/h4>\n

\"Granular<\/a>
\nFox News<\/em><\/a> offers a choropleth map similar to the BBC\u2019s in terms of allowing viewers to see previous election results, though in this case, only for 2020 and 2016. Visually, it\u2019s closer to 270toWin<\/em>\u2019s map, as it labels states not only with abbreviations but also with the total number of electoral votes. Additionally, it stripes the Maine and Nebraska states similar to ABC News<\/em>\u2019s map. Hovering brings up tooltips with vote numbers and shares for the top two leaders. Clicking lets you see the results by county.<\/p>\n

What distinguishes Fox News<\/em>\u2019s map the most is the availability of a granular county view on the national map, available by clicking \u201cCounties\u201d next to the \u201cStates\u201d tab. This detailed county view is available for the 2020 and 2016 U.S. presidential election results as well.<\/p>\n

Data source:\u00a0AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

Cartograms & Choropleth Maps of U.S. Election Results in Single Dashboards<\/h2>\n

Since cartograms and choropleth maps are the two most widely used forms of data visualization in U.S. election maps, they often go hand in hand, allowing you to choose the view\u00a0you prefer and easily switch between them \u2014 toggling between a purely geographic\u00a0perspective and a focus on electoral votes.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples of such\u00a0election dashboards<\/a> \u2014 from The Washington Post<\/em>, Politico<\/em>, Axios<\/em>, Al Jazeera<\/em>, The Telegraph<\/em>, The Times<\/em>, and\u00a0The Wall Street Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Basic Cartograms\u00a0and Choropleth Maps<\/h3>\n

#11. The Washington Post: Basic Cartogram\u00a0and Choropleth Map<\/h4>\n

\"Basic<\/a>
\nThe Washington Post<\/em><\/a>\u2019s election graphics hub features two basic visualizations splitting the geographic and electoral-vote insights nationwide on a state level. The choropleth map colors states by the leading candidate’s party color, displays state names, and marks flipped states with arrow symbols. The cartogram uses equal-sized squares for each electoral vote, grouped by state and colored by the leading candidate’s color. In both views, hovering over a state reveals votes and percentages for\u00a0Trump and Harris in the tooltip.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#12. Politico: Basic Cartogram\u00a0and Choropleth Map<\/h4>\n

\"Basic<\/a>
\nPolitico<\/em><\/a> presents the voting results in the same\u00a0two basic visuals like The Washington Post<\/em>: a cartogram and a choropleth map. The electoral cartogram\u00a0resembles a real map but with geographic area relationships distorted based on electoral votes. The choropleth map\u00a0is similar to The Hill<\/em>\u2019s, with state abbreviations shown and flipped states not highlighted. On hover, both visualizations display vote numbers and percentages for the top two candidates, plus the third-place result or combined results for other candidates\u00a0where applicable.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#13. Axios: Basic Cartogram and Choropleth Map with Advanced Tooltips<\/h4>\n

\"Basic<\/a>
\nAxios<\/em><\/a> also provides these two\u00a0traditional geovisualizations. Axios<\/em>‘s cartogram resembles Le Monde<\/em>\u2019s, showing squares for each electoral vote layered within the respective state\u2019s boundaries. Like the choropleth map, it also displays states with names, electoral vote counts, and prominently colored flipped states.<\/p>\n

The tooltip is what makes Axios<\/em> stand out, as it is also\u00a0interactive. It allows\u00a0you to see vote numbers and percentages for the top candidates and press\u00a0the \u201cShow All\u201d button to\u00a0expand\u00a0and view all candidates\u2019 results directly within the same tooltip.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#14. Al Jazeera: Basic Cartogram and Choropleth Map with Previous Results<\/h4>\n

\"Basic<\/a>
\nAl Jazeera<\/em><\/a> visualizes the 2024 U.S. election results using cartogram and choropleth map\u00a0graphics on a dark background (like\u00a0the “dark mode”). The choropleth map looks similar to The Hill<\/em>\u2019s and Politico<\/em>\u2019s, with state labels showing abbreviations and no highlighting of flipped states. In addition, it highlights Nebraska and Maine’s split electoral votes. Hovering doesn\u2019t display additional information, but clicking a state on the choropleth or cartogram\u00a0represents results for the top two candidates above the graphic.<\/p>\n

Al Jazeera<\/em>\u2019s project also enables viewing previous U.S. presidential results from 2020, 2016, and 2008 on the choropleth map, although these historical election maps are not interactive.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

Drill-Down Choropleth and Cartogram in Single Dashboards<\/h3>\n

#15. The Telegraph: Drill-Down Choropleth Map with Basic Cartogram<\/h4>\n

\"Drill-Down<\/a>
\nThe Telegraph<\/em><\/a>\u2019s dashboard offers unlabeled basic cartogram and choropleth map visuals, with colors indicating winners (and flips on the choropleth map). No tooltip appears on hover.\u00a0However, clicking on a state reveals vote and percentage results for the top two candidates in a hint window. In the choropleth map view,\u00a0clicking also zooms into county-level results, additionally visualizing the winner’s vote share using a color scale.<\/p>\n

Data source: Edison Research and\u00a0The National Election Pool (NEP).<\/em><\/p>\n

#16. The Times: Drill-Down Choropleth Map with Basic Cartogram<\/h4>\n

\"Drill-Down<\/a>
\nThe Times<\/em><\/a>\u00a0provides similar visuals to The Telegraph<\/em>‘s: a choropleth map and cartogram without labels, but The Times<\/em>\u2019s cartogram also\u00a0distinguishes flipped states. Both support tooltips on hover, displaying more details, including vote numbers and percentages. Clicking the choropleth map triggers zooming into that state, revealing county results also\u00a0represented in choropleth style.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#17. WSJ: Drill-Down Cartogram and Drill-Down Choropleth Map<\/h4>\n

\"Drill-Down<\/a>
\nThe Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a>\u2019s election visuals, as opposed to The Telegraph<\/em>\u2019s and The Times<\/em>\u2019s, label states with names on both the cartogram and choropleth map and also show tooltips on hover with votes and percentages for up to three leading candidates. Drilling into states in\u00a0any\u00a0view reveals the county-level situation: a separate window appears with more details on the left, including who won in the 2020 election, and a choropleth map of the respective state representing county colors according to the 2024 winner’s vote share using a color scale\u00a0similar to The Telegraph<\/em>\u2019s choropleth map.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bubble Maps of U.S. Election Results in Dashboards<\/h2>\n

Bubble maps<\/a> are a powerful tool for visualizing numerical data on maps by using circles (bubbles) of varying sizes and colors to represent quantities like vote counts or margins. When combined with cartograms and choropleth maps, bubble maps provide additional layers of insight, highlighting not just who won where, but by how much, and where the most votes are concentrated.<\/p>\n

? Learn\u00a0how to create a\u00a0bubble map<\/a>\u00a0using JavaScript (and how to visualize election results in a bubble map<\/a> with JS).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Below are examples of dashboards that effectively integrate bubble maps alongside cartograms and choropleth maps, offering a more nuanced view of the 2024 U.S. presidential election results \u2014 from The New Yorker<\/em>, NBC News<\/em>, Time<\/em>, France24<\/em>, Associated Press<\/em>, The Guardian<\/em>, and Reuters<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Bubble Maps with Cartograms and Choropleth Maps<\/h3>\n

#18. The New Yorker: Cartogram and Choropleth Maps with Bubble Maps for Drill-Down<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nThe New Yorker<\/em><\/a> presents the 2004 race results using traditional geographic (choropleth) and electoral (cartogram) maps like many we\u2019ve already seen. Both have no labels like The Telegraph<\/em>\u2019s but without highlighting flipped states. Hovering shows results for up to three candidates. Clicking a state drills down into a county-by-county view, where bubble maps come into play. County results are\u00a0displayed with bubbles \u2014 one for each county \u2014 colored by the winner (based on vote share using a color scale) and sized by ballots counted.<\/p>\n

Data source: AP.<\/em><\/p>\n

#19. NBC News: Bubble Maps with Cartogram and Choropleth Maps<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nNBC News<\/a><\/em> also uses a choropleth map\u00a0and a cartogram as primary visualizations. These resemble Axios<\/em>\u2019s in terms of how states are represented: battleground states are highlighted, states are named, but electoral votes are not seen at first glance. Both display state results on hover, showing up to five leading candidates in votes and percentages. There\u2019s also a switcher to view\u00a0only battleground states. Clicking on a state opens a detailed page that includes a county-level choropleth map and two more map tabs\u00a0with bubble maps: Size of Lead<\/strong> and Estimated Remaining Votes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Data source: Edison Research and\u00a0The National Election Pool (NEP).<\/em><\/p>\n

#20. Time: Bubble Maps with Cartogram and Choropleth Maps<\/h4>\n

\"Election<\/a>
\nTime<\/em><\/a> provides a choropleth map for the geographic view that looks similar to The Telegraph<\/em>\u2019s \u2014 it shows state abbreviations and colors states by the winner\u2019s party color without highlighting flip stats \u2014 and a cartogram for the electoral perspective, similar to Le Monde<\/em>\u2019s but with more detailed tooltips. On both presentations, hovering brings up details including votes and percentages for up to three top candidates in each state. Clicking on a state on either map drills down into state details on the same page. At the county level, you are offered three maps to explore:<\/p>\n