Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are facing off in the 2024 election with tight margins in key battleground states that will determine the winner. Trump is aiming to regain states he won in 2016, while Harris is looking to secure the states that President Biden won in 2020 to secure a comfortable victory in the Electoral College. In the 2020 election, Biden won 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232, with Biden winning the popular vote as well. The Electoral College requires a majority of 270 votes to win the presidency.
The Biden campaign successfully reclaimed states that Trump had flipped in 2016, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as picking up Arizona and Georgia. These wins solidified his victory and created a strong coalition of supporters. For the 2024 election, seven states are considered battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, is seen as the biggest prize that could significantly impact the election outcome. Winning Pennsylvania would make reaching the 270 electoral votes threshold easier for either candidate.
The Electoral College votes are distributed based on each state’s representation in Congress, with every state receiving at least three votes. States gain or lose electoral votes based on population shifts, as determined by the U.S. Census every 10 years. In the 2024 election, six states gained electoral votes (Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas) while seven states lost a vote (California, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia). This redistribution of electoral votes can impact the electoral map and the strategies of the candidates.
The outcome of the 2024 election will rely heavily on the results in battleground states, where Trump and Harris are focusing their campaigns. Winning a combination of these states will be crucial for securing the necessary electoral votes to win the presidency. Trump’s efforts to regain states he won in 2016 and Harris’s attempts to retain Biden’s victories in 2020 will shape the election outcome. The tight margins in these key states show the importance of every vote and highlight the unpredictability of the electoral process.
As Election Day approaches, the campaigns of Trump and Harris are intensifying their efforts in battleground states, trying to sway undecided voters and mobilize their supporters. The shifting electoral map since 2020, with states gaining and losing electoral votes, adds another layer of complexity to the election dynamics. The candidates will need to adapt their strategies based on these changes and closely monitor the evolving landscape to maximize their chances of victory. Ultimately, the 2024 election will come down to a few key states and the decisions of voters that will determine the next president of the United States.
