2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results by the Numbers

The 2024 U.S. presidential election is being decided in seven battleground states. In 2020, Joe Biden won with 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump’s 232. Key states like Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania played a crucial role in the outcome.

CONTENTS:

• Election results may take days.
• Electoral College determines presidential winner.
• Past elections offer valuable context.
• Trump leads, Biden won 2020.
• Biden won 2020, battleground states matter.

2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results by the Numbers

Election results may take days

2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results Election Day in the U.S. is when many Americans vote for president, but the results aren’t always immediate. Media outlets project which electoral votes will go to the Democratic or Republican nominee, but it can take several days to declare a winner, as seen in past elections.

A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win, and if the results of key states are unclear, it can delay the announcement. For example, in the 2020 election, Joe Biden was declared the winner on November 7, four days after Election Day. In 2016, Donald Trump’s win was projected on the morning of November 9, the day after Election Day. In 2012, Barack Obama’s victory was announced before midnight on Election Day, and in 2008, Obama won around 11 p.m. EST. However, the 2000 election took 35 days to resolve due to disputes and voting issues, with George W. Bush ultimately declared the winner on December 12.

Electoral College determines presidential winner

2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results  The popular vote in U.S. presidential elections provides insight into voter preferences but does not determine the winner, as the Electoral College is the final decider. The Electoral College consists of 538 votes, allocated to states based on their congressional representation, with electors casting votes for the candidate who won the popular vote in their state. A candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes to win.

In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won the popular vote and defeated Donald Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College, with a 4-point lead in the popular vote. Voter turnout increased by 7% over 2016, reaching 66% of eligible voters. In contrast, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016 by nearly 2.9 million votes, but lost the Electoral College 304-227 to Trump. Clinton became the fifth candidate in U.S. history to win the popular vote and lose the presidency, joining figures like Al Gore in 2000.

Barack Obama won the popular vote in both 2008 and 2012, defeating John McCain and Mitt Romney, respectively. Obama secured 365 electoral votes in 2008 and 332 in 2012.

In 2000, George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore, who received 48.4% of the vote, but won the Electoral College 271-266 after a controversial recount and the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision. Bush went on to win the popular vote in his 2004 reelection bid.

Past elections offer valuable context

2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results  Past elections may not predict future outcomes, but they offer useful context. Here’s a quick summary:

– 2020: Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won 306 electoral votes to Republicans Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s 232, with Biden securing 51.3% of the popular vote. Biden was declared the winner on Nov. 7, four days after Election Day due to COVID-19-related voting changes.

– 2016: Donald Trump and Mike Pence won 306 electoral votes, while Democrats Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine received 232. Trump won 45.9% of the popular vote, while Clinton had 48%. Trump was projected as the winner on Nov. 9, the day after Election Day.

– 2012: Barack Obama and Joe Biden were reelected with 332 electoral votes, while Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan received 206. Obama won 51% of the popular vote, compared to Romney’s 47.2%. Obama was projected the winner at 11:38 p.m. ET on Nov. 6.

– 2008: Obama and Biden defeated John McCain and Sarah Palin, with 365 electoral votes and 52.9% of the popular vote. McCain’s ticket received 173 electoral votes and 45.6% of the popular vote. Obama was projected the winner around 11 p.m. on Election Day, and McCain conceded at 11:18 p.m. ET.

– 2004: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney won 286 electoral votes and 50.7% of the popular vote. John Kerry and John Edwards secured 251 electoral votes and 48.2% of the popular vote. Kerry conceded to Bush around 11 a.m. ET the day after Election Day.

– 2000: George W. Bush won 271 electoral votes to Al Gore’s 266, while Gore won the popular vote with 48.4%. The outcome was delayed for weeks due to a contested vote in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court ended the recount on Dec. 12, and Gore conceded to Bush the following day, 36 days after Election Day.

Trump leads, Biden won 2020

2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results  In the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Joe Biden won the popular vote with 81,284,666 votes, while Donald Trump received 74,224,319 votes, according to CBS News. However, Biden also outpaced Trump in the Electoral College, securing 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. To win the presidency, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes, which Biden surpassed, securing a comfortable majority.

In the ongoing 2024 election, Donald Trump is leading with 230 electoral votes, while Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has 190, according to the Associated Press. Trump is nearing the crucial 270 votes needed to claim victory.

Biden won 2020, battleground states matter

2024 U.S. Election: Battleground States and 2020 Results  As polling centers close across the U.S. and votes are being counted, the outcome of the 2024 presidential election is being closely watched, with winners already projected in several states. The election will be decided by seven battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

The 2020 Electoral College results saw Joe Biden winning with 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump’s 232. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure at least 270 electoral votes.

In 2020, Biden won the following states:

– Arizona: 11 votes
– California: 55 votes
– Colorado: 9 votes
– Connecticut: 7 votes
– Delaware: 3 votes
– District of Columbia: 3 votes
– Georgia: 16 votes
– Hawaii: 4 votes
– Illinois: 20 votes
– Maine: 4 votes (1 vote from the 1st Congressional District, 2 votes statewide)
– Maryland: 10 votes
– Massachusetts: 11 votes
– Michigan: 16 votes
– Minnesota: 10 votes
– Nevada: 6 votes
– New Hampshire: 4 votes
– New Jersey: 14 votes
– New Mexico: 5 votes
– New York: 29 votes
– Oregon: 7 votes
– Pennsylvania: 20 votes
– Rhode Island: 4 votes
– Vermont: 3 votes
– Virginia: 13 votes
– Washington: 12 votes
– Wisconsin: 10 votes

Trump won the following states:

– Alabama: 9 votes
– Alaska: 3 votes
– Arkansas: 6 votes
– Florida: 29 votes
– Indiana: 11 votes
– Iowa: 6 votes
– Kansas: 6 votes
– Kentucky: 8 votes
– Louisiana: 8 votes
– Mississippi: 6 votes
– Missouri: 10 votes
– Montana: 3 votes
– Nebraska: 5 votes (4 votes for Trump, 1 for Biden)
– North Carolina: 15 votes
– North Dakota: 3 votes
– Ohio: 18 votes
– Oklahoma: 7 votes
– South Carolina: 9 votes
– South Dakota: 3 votes
– Tennessee: 11 votes
– Texas: 38 votes
– Utah: 6 votes
– West Virginia: 5 votes
– Wyoming: 3 votes

Due to reapportionment based on Census data, some states saw changes in their electoral representation, with seven states losing one vote each and six gaining votes.