US Presidential Elections: What Are Swing States And How Do They Tip The Scales

Washington: The "Swing States" are the states which could tip the scales and decide the US presidential election. In these states, the outcome of the vote is uncertain, unlike the vote in Democratic or Republican strongholds. 

So candidates concentrate their campaigning efforts on these states. In Ohio for example, the pendulum swung to a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives in 1984. It switched back to the Republicans in 1994, except from 2008 to 2010. 

In 2000, the very close result in Florida swung the presidential election in favour of George W. Bush. Then the state, after giving its electoral college votes twice to Barack Obama, voted for Donald Trump in 2016. The swing states change over time. In 2024, the main key states are expected to be Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona and North Carolina.