Early trends from the United States presidential elections 2024 show that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are locked in a tight race for the White House. Victories in “Swing states” or “battleground states” with significant electoral votes could prove decisive. What are swing states in the US elections? These are states where either a Democratic or Republican candidate could win in a statewide election.
Since these states do not traditionally favour the “blue” Democrats or “red” Republicans, they are known as “purple” states. With just one-fifth of America's population, these states ultimately decide the next US president. An American president is not just elected by popular vote but also needs to secure enough electoral college votes.
The 47th President of the US needs to win 270 or more out of 538 electoral college votes. For a live map of the US election results, click here Each state in the US has a specified number of such votes. The College follows a winner-takes-all rule for the popular vote, giving the first candidate past simple majority all that state's electoral votes.
Trump won the US presidency in 2016 by securing 306 electoral college votes. His victory in key “purple” states proved decisive, despite the Republican securing almost three million fewer votes than his rival, Democrat Hilary Clinton. Trump described his victory as beautiful.
This makes the aspiring presidential candidates focus on these “purple” states. Seven such states i.