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On the first day of fall, Obama consolidates his recent gains, improving by 7 EVs to lead 284-254, an increase of 8 EVs from our last forecast. Notably, for the first time in 2 weeks, all of the projections now have Obama in the lead.
We have a new tipping point state, NH.
Map changes: Towards Obama: WI: T->OL.
Please also check out our Senate Forecast and House Forecast.
The sources are sorted by each projection's estimate of Obama's Electoral Votes (Algorithm at bottom). The states are sorted from Obama-Strong to McCain -Strong. The right column shows a running total of Obama's EVs. States in 3 or more categories: CO, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT. NH, NM, NC, PA, WV, WI.
DCW Presidential Forecast | |||||||||||
State | EVs | 538 .com | Open Left | FHQ | CNN | RCP | Elect. Proj. | EV. com | RM | NBC | EVs |
Date | 9/22. | 9/22. | 9/22. | 9/19. | 9/22. | 9/22. | 9/22. | 9/19. | 9/22. | ||
Obama-Strong (O) | 260 | 189 | 157 | 160 | 164 | 157 | 153 | 193 | 157 | ||
Obama-Lean (OL) | 26 | 59 | 65 | 63 | 55 | 45 | 45 | 66 | 76 | ||
Tossup (T) | 25 | 97 | 156 | 115 | 130 | 147 | 156 | 32 | 78 | ||
McCain-Lean (ML) | 72 | 47 | 19 | 75 | 26 | 49 | 38 | 58 | 67 | ||
McCain-Strong (M) | 155 | 146 | 141 | 125 | 163 | 140 | 146 | 189 | 160 | ||
Obama Total | 286 | 248 | 222 | 223 | 219 | 202 | 198 | 259 | 233 | ||
McCain Total | 227 | 193 | 160 | 200 | 189 | 189 | 184 | 247 | 227 | ||
Obama Est. | 312 | 294 | 291 | 283 | 278.2 | 276 | 275 | 273 | 270 | ||
California | 55 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 55 |
Conn. | 7 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 62 |
DC | 3 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 65 |
Delaware | 3 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 68 |
Hawaii | 4 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 72 |
Illinois | 21 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 93 |
Maryland | 10 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 103 |
Massachusetts | 12 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 115 |
New York | 31 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 146 |
Rhode Island | 4 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 150 |
Vermont | 3 | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | O | 153 |
Maine | 4 | O | OL | O | OL | O | O | T | O | O | 157 |
Iowa | 7 | O | O | OL | OL | O | OL | OL | OL | OL | 164 |
New Jersey | 15 | O | O | OL | OL | OL | OL | OL | O | OL | 179 |
Oregon | 7 | O | OL | OL | O | OL | OL | OL | OL | OL | 186 |
Washington | 11 | O | OL | OL | OL | OL | OL | OL | O | OL | 197 |
New Mexico | 5 | O | O | OL | OL | OL | OL | OL | T | OL | 202 |
Minnesota | 10 | O | OL | OL | T | T | T | T | O | OL | 212 |
Michigan | 17 | O | OL | T | T | OL | T | T | OL | T | 229 |
Pennsylvania | 21 | O | T | T | OL | T | T | T | OL | OL | 250 |
Wisconsin | 10 | O | OL | OL | T | T | T | T | OL | T | 260 |
Colorado | 9 | OL | O | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | 269 |
NH | 4 | OL | ML | T | T | T | T | T | OL | T | 273 |
Virginia | 13 | OL | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | 286 |
Nevada | 5 | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | 291 |
Ohio | 20 | T | T | T | T | T | T | T | ML | T | 311 |
Florida | 27 | ML | T | T | T | T | T | T | ML | ML | 338 |
Indiana | 11 | ML | T | T | ML | T | ML | T | ML | ML | 349 |
Missouri | 11 | ML | ML | T | ML | ML | T | ML | M | ML | 360 |
N. Carolina | 15 | ML | ML | T | ML | ML | ML | ML | M | ML | 375 |
Montana | 3 | ML | ML | T | ML | M | ML | ML | M | ML | 378 |
W. Virginia | 5 | ML | ML | ML | ML | M | ML | T | M | M | |
Louisiana | 9 | M | ML | M | ML | M | ML | ML | M | M | |
Arkansas | 6 | M | M | M | ML | M | ML | M | M | M | |
Alaska | 3 | M | M | ML | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Georgia | 15 | M | M | M | ML | M | M | M | M | M | |
N. Dakota | 3 | M | M | ML | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
S. Carolina | 8 | M | M | ML | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Alabama | 9 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Arizona | 10 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Idaho | 4 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Kansas | 6 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Kentucky | 8 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Mississippi | 6 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Nebraska | 5 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Oklahoma | 7 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
S. Dakota | 3 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Tennessee | 11 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Texas | 34 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Utah | 5 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
Wyoming | 3 | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | M | |
538 .com | Open Left | FHQ | CNN | RCP | Elect. Proj. | EV. com | RM | NBC | .... |

Notes:
538 - FiveThirtyEight - Safe and Likely mapped to Strong (O or M), Lean to Lean (OL or ML), Tossup to Tossup (T)
CNN - Safe mapped to Strong, Leaning to Lean, Tossup to Tossup
Elect. Proj. - Election Projection - Solid and Strong mapped to Strong, Moderate to Lean, Weak to Tossup
EV.com - Electoral-Vote.com - Strong mapped to Strong, Weak to Lean, Barely and Tossup to Tossup
FHQ - FrontLoading HQ - Solid mapped to Strong, Lean to Lean, Tossup (Dem and Rep) to Tossup
NBC - Base mapped to strong, Lean to Lean, Tossup to Tossup
OpenLeft - Solid mapped to Strong, Lean to Lean, Tossup to Tossup
RM - Rasmussen - Safe and Likely mapped to Strong, Lean to Lean, Tossup to Tossup
RCP - RealClearPolitics - Solid mapped to Strong, Lean to Lean, Tossup to Tossup
The overall projection is just a straight average of each projections' estimate of Electoral Votes (EVs) for each candidate. For each projection other than FiveThirtyEight, we give Obama 100% of the EVs in a state that is solid for him, 80% of the EVs for a leaner, 50% of the EVs for a Tossup, 20% of the EVs for state that is McCain-Lean, and 0% of the Solid McCain states. Exact opposite for McCain. For FiveThirtyEight, we use their overall estimate of Obama's EVs, not the state-by-state categories.
Matt 75p · 859 weeks ago
Karen Anne · 859 weeks ago
Chad_Nielson 57p · 859 weeks ago
I like Quinipiac's numbers a whole lot more then the new FOX/RASMUSSEN numbers. Isn't Quinipiac the most reputable state polling agency?
Also I have a request for this site, although it is a big one and I can see what it might not be honored. I would like to see a map that makes this kind of mathematical model for just the Swing states, so that movement in Maine or Montana don't effect the index. I know that is antithetical for the 50 state strategy but as election day nears I am becoming more and more of a pragmatist =)
Chad_Nielson 57p · 859 weeks ago
Chad_Nielson 57p · 859 weeks ago