In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, winning the national popular vote isn’t enough — it's all about securing 270 electoral votes. That hinges on a few battleground states where polls show especially close races.
The top states to watch on election night include Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, with Arizona as a potential sixth. Each of these has a significant number of electoral votes and is currently showing tight polling margins. Vice President Kamala Harris leads in some reliably Democratic-leaning areas that collectively bring 226 electoral votes, while former President Donald Trump has an edge in other areas totaling 219 votes.
If Harris secures Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — known as the “blue wall” — she could reach 270 electoral votes. But even slight polling errors could swing these states. North Carolina and Georgia are both close as well, and either could provide Harris the electoral edge if she loses a blue wall state. Arizona, though competitive, leans toward Trump and would be insufficient on its own to replace a larger battleground state.
Ultimately, the road to victory likely runs through these five or six states, where small shifts could change the entire election.
