AMERICAN
ELECTIONS:
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF
SWING
STATES

The American presidential election is a very important event for the United States, but also for the rest of the world. Whereas the election race only takes a few weeks in some countries, in the US, the presidential candidates undergo a real political marathon: Primaries, conventions and then the Electoral College system. Once each party has chosen the candidate that will represent it in the election race through the Primaries or Caucuses (Iowa) and the Convention, the campaign can begin. In the final weeks, the candidates focus all their attention on the big “Swing States” as they fight for the critical Electoral College votes. 
 


I.

THE
ELECTORAL
COLLEGE
AND
SWING
STATES


A. Definition


Swing States: (also called battleground states or purple states) These are States in which no candidate has an overwhelming support, so any of the main candidates has the possibility of winning the State’s Electoral College votes. In 1888, Connecticut, Indiana, New Jersey and New York were the key swing States for the presidential election. And Texas and Illinois were the key to the outcome of the 1960 election. Today you can count Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio as the main Swing States. Non Swing States are called Safe States because one candidate has enough support to safely assume they will win the State’s votes. The Electoral College: The president is not elected by a direct vote, but by an electoral college, in which the determining votes are proportioned by States. US citizens don’t directly vote for the President and the Vice President, they cast votes for electors. It’s a form of indirect election. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President. In 2008, it will make this selection on December 15th. B. Why
focus
on
the
Swing
States?



Most States have a winner-take-all system, in which the candidate with the most