The importance of swing states

By: Aisha Dirie

Image taken from: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/swing-states-2020-election/

With every election, we know that there are states that historically go red, and there are some states that go blue. But there is also something called swing states.

Swing States are states that are unpredictable. There have been many changes in swing states over the years. Some common swing states are: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa. These states can determine the outcome of the election.

As we all know, it takes 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Swing States play a big part in a candidate’s victory.

This year, some swing states, according to Cbsnews.com, were: Iowa, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, etc. Many of these states have a large number of electoral votes, making them desirable for candidates. To increase the chances of landing a swing state, most candidates will campaign in that state.

Although some swing states are close in numbers, some usually lean republican or democrat, the two major parties. For example, a swing state this year could be Georgia. Because Georgia is in the South, historically it leans red, but this year that was not a given. Another example could be Pennsylvania. Although this was a close state this year, it historically leans towards blue.

This year was a perfect example of the importance of swing states. Although Georgia usually goes red, it didn’t.

We also have to consider the COVID-19 pandemic. With the pandemic, it caused many people to mail in their ballots. This election also had the largest voter turnout in the history of elections.

With this, we know that swing states are as important as any other state. They are the most critical factor in winning the election, as they can change the outcome of the elections. This year, Georgia was leaning red, but we soon found out that it turned blue. Changes like these are historic.

Swing states are the most important tool in winning an election, just as we saw Joe Biden do this year.

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