Because of the electoral system in the United States, it’s not enough for a presidential candidate to get majority of the people’s votes to win an election. For example, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost 2.9 million votes in 2016 but still lost the presidency to Donald Trump.

It’s more important to win Electoral College votes, since a majority of 270 out of 538 electoral votes is required to elect the president.

What are swing states?

Swing states, also known as battleground states, are states where the outcome is uncertain and could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate.

Unlike solidly red (Republican-leaning) or blue (Democratic-leaning) states, swing states don’t have a consistent voting pattern and can shift from one party to another in different elections.

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What are the ‘swing states’ and who do they usually vote for in the US Election?

In the past, Florida and Ohio were considered swing states, but it is no longer the case for the 2024 electoral exercise.

Since 2016, Ohio has been expected to vote Republican. Up until 2020, the state had voted for the winning presidential candidate since 1964. This changed when Joe Biden won in 2020 even as 53% of its voters voted for Trump.

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Florida is no longer considered a swing state for the 2024 election either. The state has turned significantly more red, beginning with the former president’s tenure at the White House in 2016.

Currently, seven states are considered swing states, which is why these areas have been the focus of both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the final days before the election. These are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which control 93 electoral college votes between them.

The candidates have been courting voters particularly in Pennsylvania, which has the largest number of electoral college votes at 19.