Swing states hold key to 2024 presidential race
Before the elections in the United States, the media worldwide was filled with red and blue images. This not only refers to the US flag but also to the country's map with its colorful divisions. What are red and blue states?
Both leading American parties have geographical strongholds—states that have predominantly voted for one candidate for years. These states are referred to as safe states.
Safe states
The division of the American electoral map into red (Republican) and blue (Democratic) states has evolved over the years. However, some places have maintained their political preferences since the Civil War in the 19th century. During that time, thirteen American states were divided into North and South, with residents holding different views on various issues, including the economy and slavery.
Contemporary blue states are concentrated on the West Coast and the northern part of the East Coast. Typically, Democratic states include New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois, Minnesota, and Hawaii. The center of the country, considered more provincial, is red, meaning residents of these states usually vote for Republican candidates. Political scientists also point to geographical criteria—Republicans tend to be popular in the Great Plains, typically mountainous states, and in the South, which includes Idaho, Wyoming, both Dakotas, Montana, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Alaska, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia.
The outcome depends on the undecided
The fiercest electoral battles are fought over swing states—states where voters have supported different candidates over the years, deciding the final outcome. The American electoral system is considered somewhat complex. Candidates are selected in primaries, which are held at various times in different states. Americans vote indirectly—the votes cast by citizens in the popular vote are converted into electoral votes for each state (each state has a number of electoral votes proportional to its size and population).
This results in 538 United States Electoral College members who will choose the president and vice president. In 48 states and the District of Columbia (the exceptions are Nebraska and Maine), the popular vote winner receives all that state's electoral votes. A margin of even one vote is enough. This principle is called "the winner takes it all." The complexity of this system lies in the fact that one candidate can receive more direct votes but fewer electoral votes and, consequently, lose the election.
