All the battleground states to watch during the 2024 election

Seven battleground states, any of which could potentially swing to either the Democrats or Republicans, hold the keys to the presidency in the 2024 election as voters make their choice between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Both Harris and Trump have made repeated visits to these competitive states, where CBS News polling shows the candidates were virtually tied in the lead-up to Election Day.

List of battleground states to watch in the 2024 presidential election

CBS News considers these the battleground states in the 2024 presidential election:

• Arizona
• Georgia
• Michigan
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Wisconsin

Arizona has 11 electoral votes, and its polls close at 9 p.m. ET on Election Day. Trump won Arizona in 2016, but then lost it narrowly to President Biden in 2020. 

Georgia has 16 electoral votes, and the polls close at 7 p.m. ET. Trump won the state in 2016, but in 2020, Mr. Biden beat him by fewer than 12,000 votes — the first time a Democratic candidate had won the state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Allegations that Trump and more than a dozen allies engaged in a criminal conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s 2020 results are now at the center of an election interference case in Fulton County; Trump denies wrongdoing.

Michigan’s 15 electoral votes went to Trump in 2016 after almost three decades of supporting Democrats for president. The state flipped in 2020, with Mr. Biden taking the win. Michigan is part of the so-called “blue wall” of Midwestern states considered crucial for Democrats. Rep. Debbie Dingell recently said she believes her state will remain competitive until the last vote is counted on Election Day. The first polls in Michigan close at 8 p.m. ET, but some are in a different time zone and close at 9 p.m. 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 p.m. ET.

North Carolina is still dealing with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Both candidates have visited since the storm. Democrats have won the state’s 16 electoral votes only twice since 1968, most recently in 2008 when voters backed Barack Obama. Trump edged out Mr. Biden in the state in 2020 by a little more than 1 point, and also bested Hillary Clinton in the state in 2016. Polls in North Carolina close at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, is a critical battleground for Harris and Trump. Mr. Biden took the state in 2020, while Trump won there in 2016. Harris and Trump have visited the state at least 20 times each in the months leading up to the election. Polls in Pennsylvania close at 8 p.m. ET.

Wisconsin voters backed Democrats for decades until 2016, when Trump flipped the state and secured its 10 electoral votes. Voters swung back in 2020, when Mr. Biden won the state. The state was decided by less than 1% in the last two elections. Polls in Wisconsin close at  9 p.m. ET.

The latest polling from battleground states

CBS News’ Battleground Tracker provides the latest estimates of support for Harris and Trump in these states as the 2024 campaign comes to a close. Estimates are based on CBS News/YouGov polling and analysis. 

The findings below also include Nebraska’s competitive 2nd Congressional District; Nebraska is one of two states, along with Maine, that allows splitting up its electoral votes.

What is a battleground state, technically?

A battleground state — sometimes known as a swing state — has a population of voters who are almost evenly divided politically heading into the election. While many states vote fairly consistently for either Democrats or Republicans, both parties see a chance to win in the battlegrounds and invest a huge amount of money and time into campaigning in these states.

How have battleground states shifted over the years?

Here’s who voters in battleground states backed 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)