Battleground states or swing states are states within the union that can be swayed during an election cycle to favor one party or another. Being a critical part of reaching the Electoral vote count of 270 which leads to the presidency, a battleground state is fought hard. Watch the video hosted by high school sophomore Gabriel Lopez. And don’t forget to subscribe to the channel, and discuss on TWVocalize!
Transcript:
Have you ever looked up an election map during primaries and wonder what a battleground state is and if you live in one? Well let me try to explain this to you. Let’s do this!
Every presidential election have the candidates heavily campaigning in what’s called “Battleground States”. But what exactly does that mean anyway? Well, a battleground state (or swing state) are states within the country which could wind up in the favor of each competing presidential candidate once the election happens. So, both Republican and Democratic candidates fight for those particular states.
The Electoral Map is the road to the presidency. Whichever candidate can reach 270 electoral votes, which are decided by the voters, then they win the coveted elected office and become president. Each state represents a certain number of electors which means the race to 270 is critical as each state counts. But especially battleground states since they can decide an election.
The states considered battleground states in this election cycle are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. The numbers can add up significantly for the one vying for the presidency. For instance, Arizona has 11 Electoral College votes. Florida has 29 Electoral College votes. Ohio, 18, Texas, 38, and North Carolina, 15.
These states can either swing toward the Republican or Democratic candidate. But in order to determine where the battleground states wind up – red or blue – the decision is always up to you as a registered voter. If you’re 18 or older on Election day in November, you can make that decision. Not registered? Visit www.tomorrowwevote.org/register and sign up. You’re the key to 270 and the next 4 years.