by Logan Bowe
On November 5th, the Presidential Election will be held and, due to Joe Biden dropping out of the race, our new President will be elected: either Donald Trump of the Republican Party or Kamala Harris of the Democratic party. With this race being one of the closest we’ve seen in years, and in many people’s eyes one of the most important elections in our lifetimes, as young Americans, it’s important to have a preview of the upcoming election. With the process of the Electoral College, there are 7 primary swing states that have a chance to decide the election. Let’s take a look at the seven “battleground” states:
Pennsylvania: In the past two years, Pennsylvania, a state with over thirteen million people, has had their Presidential choice decided by 44,000 and 80,000 votes in 2016 and 2020 respectively. With nineteen electoral votes, tied for fifth most of any state, this state will be a must-have for the candidates.
Georgia: Similar to Pennsylvania, Georgia’s Presidential candidate was decided by just 12,000 votes in 2020. With sixteen electoral votes, tied with seventh most with the next state on this list and a long history of Republican voting broken this past election by Joe Biden, questions are arising as to what candidate will win Georgia this year.
North Carolina: In 2020, the gap between the two candidates was a mere 74,000 votes. Another historically Republican state, North Carolina was seen by many to lean more Democratic last election cycle, and this has raised questions of whether or not this year will be any different. With sixteen electoral votes, North Carolina will be crucial to the election of our next President.
Michigan: In 2016, Donald Trump won in Michigan, while in 2020 Joe Biden won the state by over 100,000 votes. With this swapping of parties in the last two elections, it raises the question of who could win Michigan in 2024, a state with fifteen electoral votes.
Arizona: A state with eleven electoral votes, Biden won the state by only 11,000 votes in 2020. Third party candidate, Jo Jorgenson of the Libertarian party, received 50,000 votes in that same election. With an even closer race ahead, would those who voted for the independent candidate change their vote and ultimately sway which way the state goes?
Wisconsin: Similar to Arizona, in 2020 Wisconsin’s election had a margin of only 20,000 votes. Jo Jorgenson also performed well in Wisconsin and received 38,000 votes. With ten electoral votes, would these Libertarian voters joining one of the primary candidates change the way this state votes?
Nevada: Nevada, the smallest of all the states here with only six electoral votes, has, in recent years, leaned towards the Democrats. Biden only won the state by 34,000 votes in 2020 – it’s anyone’s game this time around.