HTML State List with PHP selected statement

/* HTML State List with PHP selected statement if another required field is not filled out properly */
/* STICKY STATES! */
<span>
    <label for="state" class="req">State</label>
    <select name="state">
    <option value="" <?= (empty($_POST['state']) ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Select a State</option>
    <option value="AL" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'AL' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Alabama</option>
    <option value="AK" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'AK' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Alaska</option>
    <option value="AZ" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'AZ' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Arizona</option>
    <option value="AR" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'AR' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Arkansas</option>
    <option value="CA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'CA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>California</option>
    <option value="CO" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'CO' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Colorado</option>
    <option value="CT" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'CT' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Connecticut</option>
    <option value="DE" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'DE' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Delaware</option>
    <option value="DC" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'DC' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>District Of Columbia</option>
    <option value="FL" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'FL' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Florida</option>
    <option value="GA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'GA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Georgia</option>
    <option value="HI" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'HI' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Hawaii</option>
    <option value="ID" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'ID' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Idaho</option>
    <option value="IL" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'IL' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Illinois</option>
    <option value="IN" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'IN' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Indiana</option>
    <option value="IA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'IA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Iowa</option>
    <option value="KS" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'KS' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Kansas</option>
    <option value="KY" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'KY' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Kentucky</option>
    <option value="LA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'LA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Louisiana</option>
    <option value="ME" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'ME' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Maine</option>
    <option value="MD" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MD' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Maryland</option>
    <option value="MA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Massachusetts</option>
    <option value="MI" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MI' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Michigan</option>
    <option value="MN" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MN' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Minnesota</option>
    <option value="MS" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MS' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Mississippi</option>
    <option value="MO" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MO' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Missouri</option>
    <option value="MT" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'MT' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Montana</option>
    <option value="NE" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NE' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Nebraska</option>
    <option value="NV" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NV' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Nevada</option>
    <option value="NH" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NH' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>New Hampshire</option>
    <option value="NJ" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NJ' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>New Jersey</option>
    <option value="NM" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NM' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>New Mexico</option>
    <option value="NY" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NY' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>New York</option>
    <option value="NC" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'NC' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>North Carolina</option>
    <option value="ND" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'ND' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>North Dakota</option>
    <option value="OH" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'OH' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Ohio</option>
    <option value="OK" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'OK' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Oklahoma</option>
    <option value="OR" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'OR' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Oregon</option>
    <option value="PA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'PA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Pennsylvania</option>
    <option value="RI" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'RI' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Rhode Island</option>
    <option value="SC" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'SC' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>South Carolina</option>
    <option value="SD" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'SD' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>South Dakota</option>
    <option value="TN" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'TN' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Tennessee</option>
    <option value="TX" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'TX' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Texas</option>
    <option value="UT" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'UT' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Utah</option>
    <option value="VT" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'VT' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Vermont</option>
    <option value="VA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'VA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Virginia</option>
    <option value="WA" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'WA' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Washington</option>
    <option value="WV" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'WV' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>West Virginia</option>
    <option value="WI" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'WI' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Wisconsin</option>
    <option value="WY" <?= ($_POST['state'] == 'WY' ? 'selected="selected"' : ''); ?>>Wyoming</option>
    </select>
    </span>