A quick guide to swing state Georgia
- Published
Georgia, famous for the Savannah skyline, being the home of Martin Luther King Jr, and Atlanta’s vibrant music scene, is one of seven states that will decide the 2024 US presidential election.
Voting in swing states is hard to predict and can swing Republican or Democratic - that’s why you’re hearing so much about them as campaigning draws to a close.
Here’s all you need to know.
Population
11m, same as Cuba
Electoral college votes
16 of 538
In a nutshell
Donald Trump almost certainly needs to win here to take the White House.
Kamala Harris does not necessarily need to win here to become the next US president, but if she fails in other swing states, Georgia will become key to her path to the presidency.
2020 margin
Biden by 13,000 votes.
What's the deal now?
All eyes have been on Georgia ever since Democrats unexpectedly triumphed there in 2020.
The big question this year is - will that trend continue and will Georgia truly crown itself a swing state? Or will Donald Trump reinstate the status quo and win it back?
What do voters say?
Polling is excruciatingly close in Georgia. An Emerson College poll from early October found that Harris and Trump are effectively tied there; 48.3% of likely voters back Harris and 49.2 % preferred Trump.
The economy is a major issue for voters in Georgia, as is the case with other states.
Mitchell Nemeth, 30, will likely vote for Donald Trump because he is concerned about the economy and crime.
Trump was not his first choice and he wishes he had a younger Republican nominee to vote for, whose rhetoric was less incendiary.
"Sometimes he says things that are hyperbolic," he explains. "But when it comes to policy there's plenty I can agree on."
Charmika Playcide, 37, says she voted early for Kamala Harris because “she’s the most qualified person for the job.”
"I think she's more focused on our generation more so than Trump."
What's the expert view?
For Trump to win Georgia, he needs to keep the state's sizeable Republican base together. Voters who are already conservative will likely support him again, but Trump must also keep the Republicans who were sceptical of him during the 2024 Republican primary onside. Trump is also trying to chip away at Democrats' support among black voters, the party's most critical voting block in Georgia.
For Harris to win, she must appeal to black voters in large numbers, especially around Atlanta and Savannah, and maintain her base of support with younger voters and minority communities. She also needs high turnout to overcome Trump's advantage in rural areas.
What to watch out for on election night
The black voter turnout in Georgia will be indicated in exit polls and while Harris has a commanding advantage in this group, Trump has been gaining ground among younger black men
After delays in a system that took days to deliver a definitive result four years ago, the state has sped up its voting process and the outcome could be projected earlier, possibly even on election night
