US Election: What Are Swing States

US presidential election will be held on November 5.

This year former president Donald Trump to face vice president Kamala Harris.

Swing states are those in US presidential elections that could potentially be won by either candidate

Also known as battleground states, these states are where presidential candidates focus their energy and resources throughout the campaign period

Swing states don't clearly favor one party over the other, meaning they are up for grabs

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are courting voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin

In a razor-tight election, just a handful of votes in any of these states could decide the outcome

The opposite of swing states are the 'safe states', which remain loyal to a particular party

Safe states are therefore not prioritized in terms of times and resources when candidates campaign

Most states have consistently voted for either the Republicans or the Democrats between 2000 and 2016, but swing states are always difficult to predict