US election 2024
What are “swing states” and why are they important for the 2024 US election?
The actual US presidential election only takes place in a handful of states: the swing states. This year it should be exciting in seven states – an overview.
Direct democracy could be so simple, but in America a different law applies: it is not the majority of electoral votes that ensures victory, but the majority of electoral votes. It’s an old practice, a relic from the founding years of the American republic. At that time, they did not want to leave the presidential election to the US Congress. However, the founding fathers also spoke out against direct election by the people. This would have included millions of “Negroes,” as the black slaves of the young American republic were called at the time. So electors were the compromise. Women have now also joined.
Harris or Trump? The results of the 2024 US election can be read here.
Only the voters in the states count
The rule applies: counting is done at the state level. The candidate who receives the most votes receives all of the electors in a state. And the larger the population there, the more electoral delegates are sent to Washington.
You can find all current developments in our live ticker for the 2024 US election.
Anyone who wants to move into the White House must win at least 270 of the 538 voters. And it can happen that a candidate loses even though he wins the majority of votes. The last time this happened was to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Her lead over Republican Donald Trump was almost three million votes. But he won in the “right” states and became the new US President. If you would like to learn more about the role the electors play in the US election, read our article about the US electoral college at a glance.
These states are swinging in the 2024 election year
The elections are won in the swing states, in the handful of states that cannot be firmly assigned to a party. This can change from election to election. Florida, for example, was a hotly contested region for a long time, but the “Sunshine State” is now considered red – that is the color of the Republicans. Georgia, on the other hand, has always been in the hands of the conservatives, but the Democrats recently won here.
This year could happen too Georgia become a shaky candidate again. Things will definitely be exciting on November 5th, 2024 Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan and, as so often: Pennsylvania. For once it could be tight this year North Carolina become.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
