Every four years, it seems as if the electoral map of the United States shrinks, while the number of swing states slowly decreases.

This year there are only seven states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin – where both candidates have a realistic chance of victory. But over the years, that picture has changed dramatically, with every state voting for both the Republican and Democratic candidates at least once.

Full screen

The only outlier is Washington DCwhich has consistently supported Democrats since it first received electoral votes in 1962. The 23rd Amendment gave residents of the capital the chance to cast their votes in presidential elections, but always required DCs to have fewer electoral votes than any state also. As such, it has just been preserved three electoral college votes during the 16 elections.

When did Alaska vote for Democrats?

Often characterized as the most uncompromising of the states, Alaska has been a Republican lock for decades. Alaska entered the Union in January 1959 and participated in the 1960 presidential elections, voting for the Democratic candidate in all but one election.

In 1964 Alaska’s votes went to Lyndon Johnson as he routed GOP candidate Barry Goldwater. That remains the only time Alaska has turned blue. For context, Donald Trump’s 2020 victory by ten percentage points was the smallest margin of victory since 1992.

Still, that won’t be a major concern for Democrats. The sparsely populated state has just three electoral college votes, making it unlikely to play a key role in the final outcome of the 2024 presidential election.