Special Report

Who Would Win Red States If the Election Was Today

Michael B. Thomas / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election was perhaps the most stunning upset in modern American political history. Though he lost the popular vote — amassing 2.9 million fewer votes than Democratic rival Hillary Clinton — Trump won the White House through a series of narrow victories in a handful of closely contested states. Whether or not the president can pull off a similar feat this November remains to be seen.

Currently, Trump remains the apparent front-runner in the majority of states he won in the previous election, but not all. Democratic nominee Joe Biden appears to have an advantage in several of these states — at least right now.

Using data from FiveThirtyEight, a polling aggregation platform, 24/7 Wall St. determined who would most likely win the states that went to Trump in 2016 if the election were held today. 

Of course, the election is not today, and much can change even in the few days leading up to Nov. 3. At this juncture in the 2016 presidential election, Clinton had a slight advantage over Trump in the national polls as well as a strong lead in places like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — so-called “Blue Wall” states that had not gone to a Republican presidential candidate since the 1980s. Clinton ended up losing each of those states — and the election along with them. 

Biden is also currently leading in these states. If, unlike Clinton, he can maintain that edge and also win the same states his Democratic predecessor won four years ago, he will become the next president of the United States. 

One factor that could prove decisive in several of the states on this list is voter turnout. Participation rates among eligible voters can fluctuate from one election to another, and motivation among likely voters remains a critical unknown factor going into Election Day. However, with about a week left before Election Day, there have already been more early ballots cast than there were in all of 2016 — which could indicate higher than average voter turnout. Here is a look at the states with the highest voter turnout

Click here to see who would win red states if the election was today.
Click here to read our detailed methodology.

Source: Mario Tama / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Alabama
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +27.7 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 59.3% to 39.9%
> Electoral votes: 9
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Alabama: 56.4% (18th lowest)

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Source: Eric Engman / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Alaska
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +14.7 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 52.7% to 44.9%
> Electoral votes: 3
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Alaska: 59.4% (24th highest)

Source: Mark Wilson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Arizona
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +3.5 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 50.6% to 48.1%
> Electoral votes: 11
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Arizona: 53.3% (10th lowest)

Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Arkansas
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +26.9 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 59.6% to 38.9%
> Electoral votes: 6
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Arkansas: 56.0% (16th lowest)

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Source: Joe Raedle / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Florida
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +1.2 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 50.8% to 48.5%
> Electoral votes: 29
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Florida: 52.9% (8th lowest)

Source: Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Georgia
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +5.1 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 49.7% to 49.5%
> Electoral votes: 16
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Georgia: 55.7% (15th lowest)

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Source: SerrNovik / Getty Images

Idaho
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +31.8 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 60.1% to 37.1%
> Electoral votes: 4
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Idaho: 58.3% (23rd lowest)

Source: Aaron P. Bernstein / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Indiana
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +19.2 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 54.1% to 44.5%
> Electoral votes: 11
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Indiana: 56.0% (17th lowest)

Source: Shaun Heasley / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Iowa
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +9.4 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 49.4% to 49.3%
> Electoral votes: 6
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Iowa: 60.7% (19th highest)

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Source: Whitney Curtis / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Kansas
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +20.6 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 54.5% to 43.7%
> Electoral votes: 6
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Kansas: 58.0% (22nd lowest)

Source: John Sommers II / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Kentucky
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +29.8 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 59.0% to 39.9%
> Electoral votes: 8
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Kentucky: 55.3% (13th lowest)

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Source: Matt Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Louisiana
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +19.6 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 57.5% to 41.6%
> Electoral votes: 8
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Louisiana: 59.7% (23rd highest)

Source: Sarah Rice / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Maine Congressional District 2
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +10.3 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 49.3% to 49.1%
> Electoral votes: 1
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Maine: 0.7% (the highest)

Source: Brittany Greeson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Michigan
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +0.2 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 53.7% to 45.3%
> Electoral votes: 16
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Michigan: 61.8% (13th highest)

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Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Mississippi
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +17.8 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 56.5% to 42.8%
> Electoral votes: 6
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Mississippi: 66.7% (4th highest)

Source: Michael B. Thomas / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Missouri
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +18.6 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 53.9% to 44.8%
> Electoral votes: 10
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Missouri: 62.8% (10th highest)

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Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Montana
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +20.4 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 53.4% to 44.6%
> Electoral votes: 3
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Montana: 65.2% (6th highest)

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Nebraska Congressional District 1
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +21.3 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 55.1% to 43.2%
> Electoral votes: 1
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Nebraska: 63.4% (9th highest)

Source: gageskidmore / Flickr

Nebraska Congressional District 2
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +2.2 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 51.6% to 47.1%
> Electoral votes: 1
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Nebraska: 63.4% (9th highest)

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Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Nebraska Congressional District 3
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +54.9 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 72.1% to 25.7%
> Electoral votes: 1
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Nebraska: 63.4% (9th highest)

Source: Matt Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Nebraska
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +25.0 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 57.8% to 40.5%
> Electoral votes: 5
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Nebraska: 63.4% (9th highest)

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Source: Sara D. Davis / Getty Images News via Getty Images

North Carolina
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +3.7 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 50.7% to 48.6%
> Electoral votes: 15
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in North Carolina: 61.6% (15th highest)

Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images

North Dakota
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +35.7 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 59.9% to 37.6%
> Electoral votes: 3
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in North Dakota: 62.1% (12th highest)

Source: Ty Wright / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Ohio
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +8.1 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 50.0% to 49.0%
> Electoral votes: 18
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Ohio: 61.4% (16th highest)

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Source: Michael B. Thomas / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Oklahoma
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +36.4 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 61.7% to 37.2%
> Electoral votes: 7
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Oklahoma: 53.2% (9th lowest)

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Pennsylvania
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +0.7 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 52.3% to 47.0%
> Electoral votes: 20
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Pennsylvania: 60.2% (21st highest)

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Source: Spencer Platt / Getty Images News via Getty Images

South Carolina
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +14.3 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 53.8% to 45.4%
> Electoral votes: 9
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in South Carolina: 59.8% (22nd highest)

Source: Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images

South Dakota
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +29.8 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 57.0% to 41.6%
> Electoral votes: 3
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in South Dakota: 57.3% (20th lowest)

Source: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Tennessee
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +26.0 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 57.3% to 41.6%
> Electoral votes: 11
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Tennessee: 52.0% (7th lowest)

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Source: Sergio Flores / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Texas
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +9.0 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 50.8% to 48.3%
> Electoral votes: 38
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Texas: 47.7% (2nd lowest)

Source: George Frey / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Utah
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +18.1 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 55.8% to 41.4%
> Electoral votes: 6
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Utah: 58.9% (25th lowest)

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Source: Patrick Smith / Getty Images News via Getty Images

West Virginia
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +42.1 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 63.0% to 35.2%
> Electoral votes: 5
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in West Virginia: 50.4% (5th lowest)

Source: Andy Manis / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Wisconsin
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +0.8 points
> 2020 election front runner: Biden; 52.9% to 46.2%
> Electoral votes: 10
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Wisconsin: 68.7% (2nd highest)

Source: Octavio Jones / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Wyoming
> Trump margin of victory in 2016: +46.3 points
> 2020 election front runner: Trump; 67.8% to 29.2%
> Electoral votes: 3
> Nov. 2016 voter participation in Wyoming: 63.5% (8th highest)

Methodology

To determine who would win Trump states if the presidential election were today, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the most recent available polling data in the 34 states and districts that Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. Polling data came from FiveThirtyEight, a political poll analysis company. Polling data are not necessarily from the same time period for each state.

For states with at least five total polls from at least three pollsters, the average result was used to identify the front-runner in the 2020 presidential election. In states that did not meet that standard, the front-runner was determined using the most recent poll results. 

Voter participation in the 2016 presidential election by state came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey.

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