What Are Purple States? Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/What-Are-Purple-States Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Tracy Grant Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman to hold that title. Tracy Grant Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Nov. 6, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Do you remember, as a kid, coloring with a blue crayon and then going over it with a red crayon? Voilà: Purple. In U.S. politics, the same principle holds. You take some blue voters (Democrats) and mix in a similar number of red voters (Republicans), and you have a purple state, also sometimes called a “battleground state,” or a “swing state.” That’s the perfect opening question. And let’s be honest, given the colors of the...

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