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What are the swing states? See polling in 2024 presidential battlegrounds, past winners

James Powel, USA TODAY
5 min read

All eyes are on the seven swing states as the clock on the 2024 presidential election ticks past the one-week mark.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have barnstormed across the seven states that represent the potential tipping point in the Electoral College.

Polling across Georgia, North CarolinaPennsylvaniaMichiganWisconsinNevada and Arizona shows tight races in the key states.

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Both candidates are making their closing pitches to the swing states and the nation as Election Day draws closer.

Here's what you need to know about the battleground states.

Swing state polls, past election results

Georgia

  • 2016 presidential election results: Trump beat Hillary Clinton 51% to 45.9%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Joe Biden beat Trump 49.5% to 49.3%

Here are some recent polls taken in Georgia, along with the dates they were conducted, sample size and their margin of error.

  • Atlas Intel: Trump 51%, Harris 48% (Oct. 25-29; 1,429 likely voters; margin of error: ±3 percentage points)

  • Marist: Trump 49%, Harris 49%, (Oct. 17-22; 1,193 likely voters; margin of error: ±3.9 percentage points)

  • Bloomberg: Trump 49.9%, Harris 48.4% (Oct. 16-20; 855 likely voters; margin of error: ±3 percentage points)

North Carolina

  • 2016 presidential election results: Trump beat Clinton 50.5% to 46.8%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Trump beat Biden 50.1% to 48.7%

Here are some recent polls taken in North Carolina, along with the dates they were conducted, sample size and margin of error:

  • AtlasIntel: Harris 48%, Trump 47% (Oct. 25-29; 1,665 likely voters; margin of error ±3 percentage points)

  • SurveyUSA/WRAL: Harris 47%, Trump 47% (Oct. 23-26; 853 likely voters; margin of error ±3.6 percentage points)

  • Emerson: Trump 50%, Harris 48% (Oct. 21-22; 950 likely voters; margin of error ±3.1 percentage points)

7 Counties in 7 Days: A cross-country road trip to 7 key places in the battle for president

Pennsylvania

  • 2016 presidential election results: Trump beat Clinton 48.6% to 47.9%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Biden beat Trump 50% to 48.8%

Here are some recent polls taken in Pennsylvania, along with the dates they were conducted, sample size and margin of error:

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  • Quinnipiac University: Trump 49%, Harris 47% (Oct. 24-28; 2,186 likely voters; margin of error ±2.1 percentage points)

  • CNN/SSRS: Harris 48%, Trump 48% (Oct. 23-28; 723 likely voters; margin of error ±4.7 percentage points)

  • Emerson: Trump 49%, Harris 48% (Oct. 21-22; 860 likely voters; margin of error ±3.3 percentage points)

tony Weatherly, a senior election specialist at the West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, offices, takes out many early voting ballots from the drop box on Oct. 8, 2024. Weatherly does this every morning in order to stay on top of checking in the ballots of voting residents so he doesn't end up with a backlog of them as Election Day nears.
tony Weatherly, a senior election specialist at the West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, offices, takes out many early voting ballots from the drop box on Oct. 8, 2024. Weatherly does this every morning in order to stay on top of checking in the ballots of voting residents so he doesn't end up with a backlog of them as Election Day nears.

Michigan

  • 2016 presidential election results: Trump beat Clinton 47.6% to 47.4%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Biden beat Trump 50.6% to 47.8%

Here are some recent polls taken in Michigan, along with the dates they were conducted, sample size and margin of error:

  • CNN/SSRS: Harris 48%, Trump 43% (Oct. 23-28; 723 likely voters; margin of error ±4.8 percentage points)

  • Atlas Intel: Trump 49%, Harris 48% (Oct. 25-29; 983 likely voters; 500 likely voters; margin of error ±3 percentage points)

  • USA TODAY/Suffolk: Harris 47%, Trump 47% (Oct. 24-27; 500 likely voters; margin of error ±4.4 percentage points)

Wisconsin

  • 2016 presidential election results: Trump beat Clinton 47.8% to 47%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Biden beat Trump 49.6% to 48.9%

Here are some recent polls taken in Wisconsin, along with the dates they were conducted, sample size and margin of error:

  • AtlasIntel: Harris 49%, Trump 49% (Oct. 25-29; 1,470 likely voters; margin of error ±3 percentage points)

  • CNN/SSRS: Harris 51%, Trump 45% (Oct. 23-28; 736 likely voters; margin of error ±4.8 percentage points)

  • USA TODAY/Suffolk University: Trump 48%, Harris 47% (Oct. 20-23; 500 likely voters; margin of error ±4.4 percentage points).

Nevada

  • 2016 presidential election results: Clinton beat Trump 47.9% to 45.5%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Biden beat Trump 50.1% to 47.7%

Here are some recent polls taken in Nevada, along with the dates they were conducted, sample size and margin of error:

  • AtlasIntel: Harris 48%, Trump 48% (Oct. 25-29; 1,083 likely voters; margin of error ±3 percentage points)

  • CNN/SSRS: Trump 48%, Harris 47% (Oct. 21-26; 683 likely voters; margin of error ±4.6 percentage points)

  • Bloomberg: Harris 48.8%, Trump 48.3% (Oct. 16-26; 420 likely voters; margin of error ±5 percentage points)

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Arizona

  • 2016 presidential election results: Trump beat Clinton 49% to 45.5%

  • 2020 presidential election results: Biden beat Trump 49.4% to 49.1%

Here are some recent polls taken in Arizona, along with the dates they were conducted, the sample size and the margin of error:

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  • AtlasIntel: Trump 51%, Harris 47% (Oct. 25-29; 1,458 likely voters; margin of error ±3 percentage points)

  • CNN/SSRS: Harris 48%, Trump 47% (Oct. 21-26; 781 likely voters; margin of error ±4.4 percentage points)

  • Marist: Trump 50%, Harris 49% (Oct. 17-22; 1,193 likely voters; margin of error ± 3.7 percentage points)

Dorothy Johnson gives a high five to a deputy as she goes in to vote on the first day of early voting at the Oklahoma County Election Board on Oct. 30, 2024.
Dorothy Johnson gives a high five to a deputy as she goes in to vote on the first day of early voting at the Oklahoma County Election Board on Oct. 30, 2024.

Things to keep in mind about polling

The margin of error describes how accurately we can count on the survey results being representative of the entire population.

When a candidate's lead is "inside" the margin of error, it is considered a "statistical tie," according to Pew Research Center.

Pew has also found the majority of pollsters have changed their methods since the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, where Trump's performance was significantly underestimated.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What are the swing states? See polling, past results from 7 key states

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