seven warring countrieswhich has the potential to swing Democrats or Republicans, hold the key to the presidency 2024 election as Voters make a choice between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris and Trump have repeatedly visited these competitive countries, where CBS News poll show the same candidate actually tied in the lead-up to Election Day.
List of warring states to watch in the 2024 presidential election
CBS News considers this a battleground state in the 2024 presidential election:
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin
Arizona has 11 electoral votes, and the polls close at 9pm ET on Election Day. Trump won Arizona in 2016, but then narrowly lost to President Biden in 2020.
Georgia has 16 electoral votes, and polls close at 7pm ET. Trump won the state in 2016, but in 2020, Mr. Biden beat him less than 12,000 votes – the first time a Democratic candidate won the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Trump and more than a dozen allies join a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of Georgia 2020 is now in the middle election interference case in Fulton County; Trump denies wrongdoing.
Michigan’s 15 electoral votes went to Trump in 2016 after nearly three decades of supporting Democrats for president. The state went down in 2020, with Mr. Biden winning. Michigan is part of the “blue wall” of Midwestern states that are considered important to Democrats. Rep. Debbie Dingell recently said he believes his country will remain competitive until the last vote is counted on Election Day. The first polls in Michigan close at 8 pm ET, but some are in different time zones and close at 9 pm ET.
Nevada has voted Democratic for the past four presidential elections. With six electoral votes, Nevada has the smallest total of the seven presidential battleground states. Polls close in the state at 10 pm ET.
North Carolina still dealing with the destructive after of Hurricane Helene. Both candidates have visited since the storm. Democrats have won the state’s 16 electoral votes just twice since 1968, most recently in 2008 when voters backed Barack Obama. Trump beat Mr. Biden in the state in 2020 by more than 1 point, and also beat Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016. Polls in North Carolina close at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Pennsylvaniawith 19 electoral votes, it is a critical battleground for Harris and Trump. Mr. Biden took the country in 2020, while Trump won there in 2016. Harris and Trump have visited the country at least 20 times a month before the election. Polls in Pennsylvania close at 8 pm ET.
Wisconsin Voters supported Democrats for decades until 2016, when Trump flipped the country and won 10 electoral votes. Voters retreated in 2020, when Mr. Biden won the state. The country was decided by less than 1% in the last two elections. Polls in Wisconsin close at 9 pm ET.
The latest polls from the warring states
CBS News’ Battle Tracker provides the latest estimates of support for Harris and Trump in the state as the 2024 campaign draws to a close. Estimates based on CBS News/YouGov polling and analysis.
The following findings also include Nebraska’s competitive 2nd Congressional District; Nebraska it is one of two states, along with Maine, that allows splitting up its electoral votes.
What is a battlefield state, technically?
Battleground states — sometimes known as swing states — have voter populations that are almost politically divided for elections. While many states vote consistently for Democrats or Republicans, both parties see opportunities to win on the battlefield and invest a lot of money and time in campaigning in those states.
How have battleground states changed over the years?
Here’s who voters in warring states supported in past elections:
Arizona:
- 2020: Joe Biden (Democrat)
- 2016: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2012: Mitt Romney (Republican)
- 2008: John McCain (Republican)
- 2004: George W. Bush (Republican)
- 2000: George W. Bush (Republican)
Georgia:
- 2020: Joe Biden (Democrat)
- 2016: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2012: Mitt Romney (Republican)
- 2008: John McCain (Republican)
- 2004: George W. Bush (Republican)
- 2000: George W. Bush (Republican)
Michigan:
- 2020: Joe Biden (Democrat)
- 2016: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2012: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2008: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2004: John Kerry (Democrat)
- 2000: Al Gore (Democrat)
Nevada:
- 2020: Joe Biden (Democrat)
- 2016: Hillary Clinton (Democrat)
- 2012: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2008: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2004: George W. Bush (Republican)
- 2000: George W. Bush (Republican)
North Carolina:
- 2020: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2016: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2012: Mitt Romney (Republican)
- 2008: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2004: George W. Bush (Republican)
- 2000: George W. Bush (Republican)
Pennsylvania:
- 2020: Joe Biden (Democrat)
- 2016: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2012: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2008: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2004: John Kerry (Democrat)
- 2000: Al Gore (Democrat)
Wisconsin:
- 2020: Joe Biden (Democrat)
- 2016: Donald Trump (Republican)
- 2012: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2008: Barack Obama (Democrat)
- 2004: John Kerry (Democrat)
- 2000: Al Gore (Democrat)
