Changes

These states take on increased significance because most states award their electoral college votes on a winner-take-all basis.  So, if one candidate gains a slim majority of the votes from a swing state, all of the electoral college votes are awarded to that candidate, despite the votes of the other 49% of the state's voters.  [[Maine]] and [[Nebraska]] are the only two current exceptions; both states split their electoral vote between those representing congressional districts (the winner of the district receives the vote) and those representing Senators (the winner of the statewide vote receives these two votes). The two states can have "swing congressional districts"; however, only one time (2008, in Nebraska) did a district go to a candidate other than the statewide winner.

These states take on increased significance because most states award their electoral college votes on a winner-take-all basis.  So, if one candidate gains a slim majority of the votes from a swing state, all of the electoral college votes are awarded to that candidate, despite the votes of the other 49% of the state's voters.  [[Maine]] and [[Nebraska]] are the only two current exceptions; both states split their electoral vote between those representing congressional districts (the winner of the district receives the vote) and those representing Senators (the winner of the statewide vote receives these two votes). The two states can have "swing congressional districts"; however, only one time (2008, in Nebraska) did a district go to a candidate other than the statewide winner.

A notable example of a swing state is [[Florida]], where the southern portion of the state is solidly Democratic, the central portion leans Democratic, while the northern and southwestern portions are solidly Republican.  The swing state phenomenon was most notable in the 2000 Presidential Election, where the MSM called the state for Al Gore (before polls had closed in the Florida panhandle; as that area is solidly Republican some believe this was done intentionally to suppress the vote), only to have to walk their initial predictions back, then the country had to wait weeks before the winner was declared (George W. Bush, by a mere 537 votes).

A notable example of a swing state is [[Florida]], where the southern portion of the state is solidly Democratic (excluding areas with large Cuban populations which historically vote Republican), the central portion leans Democratic, while the northern (especially among the many military bases) and southwestern portions are solidly Republican.  The swing state phenomenon was most notable in the 2000 Presidential Election, where the MSM called the state for Al Gore (before polls had closed in the Florida panhandle; as that area is solidly Republican some believe this was done intentionally to suppress the vote), only to have to walk their initial predictions back, then the country had to wait weeks before the winner was declared (George W. Bush, by a mere 537 votes).

==2020==

==2020==