The winner of this year’s presidential race will be able to shape US government – including the courts – for generations. But this is not an election for the faint of heart. A few small shifts could swing things in either direction.
Polls give Harris and Trump leads in most battleground states that will determine the winner’s Electoral College vote. But those leads are within the margin of error, meaning most if not all of these states remain in play.
In each state, voters choose a block of electors who will then vote for the president. The number of electors in each state corresponds to its Congressional representation. When a candidate gets 270 electoral votes, they win the presidency.
The authors of the Constitution put this system in place to ensure careful and calm deliberation would lead to the best candidate for president. That’s still the case today, but it’s also true that this is not an easy election to predict.
The two candidates offer very different visions of the country and its role in the world — and they are appealing to very different demographic groups. The Democratic Party’s newfound appeal to young people, minorities and the working class has created a very different landscape for the Republican party as it has shifted to more populist and nativist positions.