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{{See also|early voting}} for an analysis of voting in swing states

{{See also|early voting}} for an analysis of voting in swing states

'''Swing states''', also called "'''battleground states'''," are [[state]]s in which neither the [[Republican]] nor [[Democratic]] candidate has a clear majority of the voters' support before a Presidential election, and therefore could "swing" the presidential election outcome in either direction. These states are where the majority of the campaigning takes place for both parties. In 2024 the top swing states are  [[Arizona]], [[Georgia]], and [[Wisconsin]], and the Republican can win nationally by capturing all three.  [[Michigan]] has become a swing state for 2024 due to [[Biden]]'s push for job-eliminating [[electric vehicles]], and [[Nevada]] is also considered a swing state this cycle.<ref>https://www.aol.com/news/four-swing-states-determine-2024-172546726.html</ref> According to [[CNN]] as of September 4, 2023:

'''Swing states''', also called '''battleground states''' (and, colloquially, "purple states"), are [[state]]s in which neither the [[Republican]] nor [[Democratic]] candidate has a clear majority of the voters' support before a Presidential election, and therefore could "swing" the presidential election outcome in either direction. These states are where the majority of the campaigning takes place for both parties.

 

In 2024 the top swing states were [[Arizona]], [[Georgia]], and [[Wisconsin]], and [[Donald Trump]] won by capturing all three.  [[Michigan]] has become a swing state for 2024 due to [[Biden]]'s push for job-eliminating [[electric vehicles]], and [[Nevada]] was also considered a swing state<ref>https://www.aol.com/news/four-swing-states-determine-2024-172546726.html</ref>, Trump also won those states as well.

 

According to [[CNN]] as of September 4, 2023:

{{cquote|all the analysts agree that Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin, three states that flipped from [[Trump]] in 2016 to [[Biden]] in 2020, remain toss ups. They also agree that [[Michigan]], [[Nevada]], and [[Pennsylvania]], which Biden won, and [[North Carolina]], which backed Trump, are likely to remain at least somewhat competitive.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/04/politics/2024-presidential-race-labor-day/index.html</ref>}}

{{cquote|all the analysts agree that Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin, three states that flipped from [[Trump]] in 2016 to [[Biden]] in 2020, remain toss ups. They also agree that [[Michigan]], [[Nevada]], and [[Pennsylvania]], which Biden won, and [[North Carolina]], which backed Trump, are likely to remain at least somewhat competitive.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/04/politics/2024-presidential-race-labor-day/index.html</ref>}}

States that consistently express a preference for either the Democratic or Republican candidate are usually referred to as [[blue state]]s and [[red state]]s, respectively, while swing states are called "[[purple state]]s" to highlight their mixed demographic nature. Hundreds of millions of dollars in negative ads by [[Super PAC]]s are spent almost entirely in swing states, where the presidential election outcome is expected to be decided.

  Hundreds of millions of dollars in negative ads by [[Super PAC]]s are spent almost entirely in swing states, where the presidential election outcome is expected to be decided.

A notable example of a swing state from 2000-2016 is [[Florida]], where the southern portion of the state is solidly Democratic (excluding areas with large Cuban populations that historically vote Republican), the central portion leans Democratic, while the northern (especially among the many military bases, but excluding the Tallahassee area) and southwestern portions are solidly Republican.  The swing state phenomenon was most notable in the 2000 Presidential Election, where the [[mainstream media]] 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).  Because of that, and the normally warm weather during the campaign season (where the weather is cold in many other swing states) Florida is a popular place for Presidential campaigning.

A notable example of a swing state from 2000-2016 is [[Florida]], where the southern portion of the state is solidly Democratic (excluding areas with large Cuban populations that historically vote Republican), the central portion leans Democratic, while the northern (especially among the many military bases, but excluding the Tallahassee area) and southwestern portions are solidly Republican.  The swing state phenomenon was most notable in the 2000 Presidential Election, where the [[mainstream media]] 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).  Because of that, and the normally warm weather during the campaign season (where the weather is cold in many other swing states) Florida is a popular place for Presidential campaigning.