US Presidential Elections 2024: What are the current swing states, how have they become important?

These swing states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It is often difficult to have an opinion about a swing state. It is reported that most voters in these states are loyal to either the Republican or Democratic Party. Voters in 38 states did not switch their loyalty between 2000 and 2016.

The presidential elections in the United States will be held in the month of November, where 240 million eligible voters will choose their next president. It is being reportedly said that seven ‘swing’ states are going to play a crucial role. The voters of these states would select the next president between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat hopeful Kamala Harris. 

These swing states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It is often difficult to have an opinion about a swing state. It is reported that most voters in these states are loyal to either the Republican or Democratic Party. Voters in 38 states did not switch their loyalty between 2000 and 2016.

What are the specific features or a definition of a swing state? As such, there are no characteristic features of these states but , certainly there are factors that place them among swing states. It is often observed that the Presidential candidates pick Labour Day or Memorial Day to campaign for themselves. 

The candidates also view these states as competitive because they typically have a small margin of victory for the winning candidate-less than 5 percent. Another important factor influencing the outcome is the voters’ familiarity with the candidates; they often know who has a good chance of winning the election.

Another factor is unpredictable states. Voters in these states have shown inconsistency, supporting different candidates in past elections, such as Pennsylvania.

If we look into the past, the 1992 presidential elections witnessed the highest number of states switching political parties. Similarly , in the last eight presidential elections, 26 states were won by a margin of less than three points.

It is observed that several factors can turn a state into a ‘swing’ state. Factors such as jobs, immigration, and political polarisation play an important role, as they are also linked to changes in demographics.