Red states are notorious for gerrymandering urban districts. This is the practice of dividing up areas that are prone to voting liberal and diluting their numbers among more rural and conservative voters. Many such districts become almost comically configured in this subterfuge. Voter suppression in urban polling centers is also quite common, ie; insufficient polling stations and machines creating long lines, shortened hours to vote, etc.

The terms “red or blue” states are misnomers in most areas of the country. These definitions are due only to marginal differences in numbers between the parties, which is why gerrymandering and voter suppression work. Elections for national offices are often decided by less than one percent between candidates, but the winner in state office elections gets to write the rules for the next election, which they do to greatly favor their party.