How Many Electoral College Votes Do the Seven Battleground States Have?

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Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. He has covered human rights and extremism extensively. Sean joined Newsweek in 2023 and previously worked for The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC, Vice and others from the Middle East. He specialized in human rights issues in the Arabian Gulf and conducted a three-month investigation into labor rights abuses for The New York Times. He was previously based in New York for 10 years. He is a graduate of Dublin City University and is a qualified New York attorney and Irish solicitor. You can get in touch with Sean by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English and French.

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Just 93 out of 538 electoral votes are ultimately likely to decide the presidential election.

The seven swing states have a combined total of 93 Electoral College votes, or 17.3 percent of the total and both candidates have devoted huge amounts of time and money trying to win them.

The seven: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are likely to tip one of the two candidates past the 270 electoral votes they need to win.

Newsweek sought comment on Monday from the Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns.

Pennsylvania

All eyes will be on the Keystone State, which polling has shown as neck-and-neck for weeks leading up to Election Day.

It carries 19 electoral votes, making it the most fruitful win among the swing states.

Both candidates have spent large amounts of time in Pennsylvania, with Trump narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt in Butler County in July.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on November 1 that Harris and Trump have collectively made more than 50 trips to Pennsylvania during this election cycle.

voters pennsylvania
A voter enters the Bucks County Administration building in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, on October 31, 2024. Pennsylvania is a key swing state in the 2024 election. Ed Jones/Getty Images

Arizona

The Grand Canyon state, which has 11 electoral votes, is another key battleground. Immigration along the southern border is a major issue in Arizona, and Trump has repeatedly attacked the Biden administration's record on illegal border crossings.

Biden in 2020 won Arizona for the Democrats for the first time since the 1990s and Republicans view it as a key state to win in the 2024 election.

Georgia

Georgia, with 16 electoral votes, is almost as valuable as Pennsylvania.

After Biden won the state in 2020, Atlanta's Democratic district attorney, Fani Willis, indicted Trump and 18 others for allegedly trying to overturn the result.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and claims he is a victim of a Democratic Party conspiracy to damage his campaign.

About one-third of voters in the state are Black, a demographic that polls shows largely back the Harris campaign. Trump polls much stronger than Harris in the state's rural areas.

Michigan

Michigan, with 15 electoral votes, has been a strong bellwether for the rest of the country. It voted for Trump in 2016 and switched back to Biden in 2020. Its manufacturing base has attracted many Arab Americans, who could play a key role in this election. More than 100,000 voters declared themselves as "uncommitted" in the Democratic primaries, largely as a protest at Biden's perceived support for Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas.

Nevada

Nevada, with six electoral votes, has not been as coveted a prize as Pennsylvania or Georgia for either candidate. Harris is hoping that the Latino and younger voters will help her retain the state for the Democrats, while Trump has been campaigning on the economy and promises of lower taxes.

North Carolina

North Carolina, with 16 electoral votes, would be a crucial win for either candidate. Trump told a crowd in Asheboro in August that he has to win the state.

"We've got to win this state. This state is a very, very big state to win. We've won it twice, and we're going to win it again."

It was his first outdoor appearance after an assassination attempt in July, signifying the importance he attaches to the state.

Trump won North Carolina in 2020, but Harris is polling well. A win here will be a major victory for either candidate.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin, with 10 electoral votes, is another bellwether state.

It went for Trump in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. With a Biden win last time by just over 20,000 votes. It remains a state that could go either way.

The Republican National Convention was held here during the summer in the hopes of bolstering Trump's chances, while Harris was busy campaigning in Wisconsin when she was officially named as the Democratic candidate during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Update 11/05/24 8:57 a.m ET: This article was updated to state that the 2024 Democratic National Convention took place in Chicago

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About the writer

Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. He has covered human rights and extremism extensively. Sean joined Newsweek in 2023 and previously worked for The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC, Vice and others from the Middle East. He specialized in human rights issues in the Arabian Gulf and conducted a three-month investigation into labor rights abuses for The New York Times. He was previously based in New York for 10 years. He is a graduate of Dublin City University and is a qualified New York attorney and Irish solicitor. You can get in touch with Sean by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English and French.

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Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. ... Read more