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The election will likely come down to these seven states

Lucha Arizona canvasser Lucianna Lopez (R) speaks with a voter while canvassing in Tucson, Arizona.
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
Lucha Arizona canvasser Lucianna Lopez (R) speaks with a voter while canvassing in Tucson, Arizona.

Just a handful of states are poised to decide the outcome of the election:

  • Georgia (16 electoral votes): This typically red state went for Biden in 2020.
  • Nevada (6 electoral votes): The state has a small but diverse population with a potential for big political impact.
  • Wisconsin (10 electoral votes): The state is known for its nail-biters. Trump won in 2016; Biden won it back narrowly in 2020.
  • Michigan (15 electoral votes): What was once a reliable "blue wall" has swung to the right in recent years, with Trump managing to flip it — very narrowly — in 2016 and Biden winning it back in 2020.
  • Arizona (11 electoral votes): The state is home to an increasingly diverse and rapidly growing population. It has voted Republican in all but two presidential elections since 1948 — Bill Clinton in 1996 and Biden in 2020.
  • Pennsylvania (19 electoral votes): It has the most electoral votes of any swing state, making it especially key to a candidate's success.
  • North Carolina (16 electoral votes): Since 2008, the state has been decided, on average, by less than 2 points.

Teams of NPR journalists have spent time talking to voters in each of these states throughout the year. Here's what they've found.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Rachel Treisman (she/her) is a writer and editor for the Morning Edition live blog, which she helped launch in early 2021.