Map of Considerable Interest #5

(Link: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/politics/2004_ELECTIONGUIDE_GRAPHIC/)

Map of Considerable Interest #5 is an interactive New York Times map of the 2004 Presidential Election. It offers current and historical data on how each state hadgone in previous elections and makes clear at a glance where the Republican and Democratic power bases were at the time.

The map combines the use of clicks and hovering to show lots of information in a small package. Hovering over each state gives historical results for that state, while clicking on the buttons at the top change the view. The default view is of a standard political map of the United States, but the view can be changed to that of a map showing each state sized by how many electoral votes it has. The swing states can also be singled out for viewing.

The combination of slick graphics and ease of use make the 2004 Presidental Election map an effective tool in giving the reader and quick and easy-to-understand overview of how the race was shaping up going into the election.