US election news: Trump must make a “down payment” before Arizona rally – while Harris travels to North Carolina | US News

As we reported this morning, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are heading purposefully for the swing states today.

You will hear this term a lot in the run-up to the November election.

Essentially, these are states that have a disproportionate influence in presidential elections because Republicans and Democrats vote there alternately.

Millions of dollars are being spent on election campaigns in these areas, because winning additional votes from colleges can be crucial.

The critical states in 2024 are expected to include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

We'll take a closer look at each one below – or you can watch our explainer video…

Arizona – 11 electoral votes

This was the state that helped Joe Biden win the presidency in 2020 after supporting the Democrats for the first time since the 1990s.

In addition, due to its long border with Mexico, the town is at the center of the country's immigration debate.

Immigration is considered one of the most important issues for voters.

Donald Trump has declared that if elected, he will carry out the “largest deportation operation” in history.

Kamala Harris has announced that she will once again push for comprehensive border legislation to curb migration and vowed to enforce “our laws” against border crossings.

Georgia – 16 electoral votes

Democrats flipped Georgia in 2020, with the state's large African-American population playing a key role in their victory.

Fulton County, Georgia, is also where alleged election fraud occurred that led to one of the four criminal charges against Mr Trump.

After the school shooting last week in which a 14-year-old boy killed four people and injured nine with an assault rifle, gun laws could become a major issue here.

After the shooting, Ms Harris said: “We must end this epidemic of gun violence.”

Throughout her career, she has been a vocal advocate for reinstating an assault weapons ban.

Mr Trump has promised to vigorously defend gun rights if re-elected.

North Carolina – 16 electoral votes

Like Georgia, North Carolina was once a reliably red state.

In the past 50 years, the Democrats have only won here twice – in 1976 with Jimmy Carter and in 2008 with Barack Obama.

Nevertheless, the state is considered a swing state because the Republicans only narrowly won the last election.

Data also shows that between 2011 and 2021, many newcomers to North Carolina came from the heavily Democratic states of California, New York and New England. Blacks, Latinos and people of various races also make up 90% of North Carolina's new residents – groups that have traditionally leaned more left-leaning.

However, the majority of the state's population is white – and polls suggest that some of them are concerned about immigration, which could fuel anti-immigration sentiment in Trump's campaign.

Michigan – 15 electoral votes

In the last two elections, Michigan was the state that produced the winning presidential candidate.

A central theme in this context was current President Joe Biden’s support of Israel in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Activists in the state are calling on the government to stop its military aid to the country.

Mr Trump has stressed his support for Israel, saying during a presidential debate in June that the US should allow Israel to “finish the job in Gaza”.

Ms Harris recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed her “unwavering commitment to Israel.”

During the Democratic Party Convention, she also drew attention to the “devastating” civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip.

Nevada – 6 electoral votes

In this state, both candidates will try to win over Latino voters.

The region, home to Las Vegas, is one of the US regions hardest hit financially by COVID.

The economy, taxes and the cost of living are likely to be the most important issues for voters.

Trump's campaign website states that his vision for the American economy is “lower taxes, higher wages and more jobs for American workers.”

In her economic policies, Ms Harris has promised tax breaks for small businesses as well as an increase in the corporate tax and higher taxes on those earning a million dollars or more.

Pennsylvania – 19 electoral votes

Pennsylvania made headlines in July after Mr Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally there.

Similar to Nevada, the economy is also a top issue in the Keystone State: food prices are rising faster here than anywhere else in the USA.

Wisconsin – 10 electoral votes

Before independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the race, polls suggested he could prove a problem for Trump and Mrs. Harris in Wisconsin.

Some say this could be the state where third-party candidates make a big difference, and Democrats are fighting to get the Green Party's Jill Stein off the ballot, for example.

They argued that Ms. Stein had violated state election laws and also filed a complaint against independent candidate Cornel West.

The state has determined the winner of the last two elections and Mr Trump called this “really important”.

“If we win Wisconsin, we win the whole thing,” he said earlier.

Ms. Harris gathered in the state of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to celebrate on stage her official nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate.

Both the economic situation and abortion rights are considered key issues for voters.