What are battleground states and why do they matter?

The 2020 presidential election between Democrat Joe Biden and incumbent Republican Donald Trump will be decided by which candidate wins the 270 electoral votes needed to reach the White House. Both candidates are focusing their campaigns on the battleground states.

Candidates tend to prioritize battleground states because of the Electoral College. To win the presidency, a candidate must obtain at least 270 of the 538 available electoral votes. In other words, the popular vote is less important to the big picture than a candidate’s ability to capture electoral votes. You can read more about the Electoral College here. 

Battleground states, explained

The term battleground state or swing state refers to any state that could be won by either major-party presidential candidate — Democratic or Republican — by a swing in votes.

These battleground states are usually targeted by both major-party campaigns, especially in competitive elections.

The eight battleground states in the 2020 campaign are identified as:

1. Arizona
2. Florida
3. Georgia
4. Michigan
5. Minnesota
6. North Carolina
7. Pennsylvania
8. Wisconsin

Identification of a battleground state is based on factors such as:

• polling
• demography
• election history
• voter registration
• information from state and local party officials, strategists and pollsters