“Battleground” or “swing” states, which can switch back and forth between the two major parties in U.S. presidential votes and are heavily courted by candidates, will be crucial to deciding the winner of this year’s election. Another word for battleground. Our electoral vote map for 2020 starts with 10 battleground states based on an analysis done by former Clinton political director Doug Sosnik. Each battleground state receives ample campaign visits, ad spending, and national attention because the outcomes in most states are clear months ahead of elections. English Language Learners Definition of battleground. a place where an argument or competition is happening: Pennsylvania and Ohio are key battlegrounds in this year’s election. battleground (Noun) Figuratively, any subject of dispute or contention. 2. countable noun You can refer to an issue or field of activity over which people disagree or compete as a battleground. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Send us feedback. a place where an argument or competition is happening: Pennsylvania and Ohio are key battlegrounds in this year’s election. An NPR report from August 2019 identified Texas as a potential battleground state due to demographic changes and turnover in the congressional delegation. A battleground is also a battlefield. Frequent use of battleground state in national elections makes it seem like a deeply ingrained part of our political language. Battleground states. Swing state … (Definition of battleground from the Cambridge … These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'battleground.' FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) - A federal judge has granted a limited appeal filed by a former University of Virginia lacrosse player convicted a decade ago … Each term describes a state that is closely divided between Democratic and Republican voters and could go either way in an election, but each points up different aspects of a political contest. The hardening of the electoral vote map in the 21st century has left a small group of battleground states. Swing states, also known as battleground states or purple states, are highly competitive states that have historically swung between voting for different parties in presidential elections. Ballotpedia’s analysis of the 2016 presidential election showed 38 states and the District of Columbia were effectively determined before Election Day. "Battleground states" are also known as "swing states" or "purple states". Click on the state's name for more information. Merriam-Webster found an example of the phrase in an 1842 edition of the Centinel of Freedom. Taegan Goddard also runs Political Wire, Political Job Hunt and the Political Dictionary. Party:Thirty-seven percent of voters in Nevada identified as Democrats, versus 27 percent of Republicans in preliminary exit poll results. Understanding how battleground states are determined provides a glimpse into how future presidential elections will be determined. In American politics, the term swing state (or battleground state) refers to any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican presidential candidate by a swing in votes. The Cook Political Report updated its race ratings on October 28, 2020: Texas moved from Leans Republican to Toss Up. There are underlying factors that are helpful in evaluating the future battleground status of a state. Political Battleground With new leadership at the Virginia General Assembly, gun-control advocates see opportunity, while gun-rights supporters vow resistance. A battleground is also a battlefield. Is there room for compromise? Find more ways to say battleground, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Politics at CNN has news, opinion and analysis of American and global politics Find news and video about elections, the White House, the U.N and much more. During this period, 18 states had at least one presidential race that fit within the 5% margin of victory criterion. The term underscores the grueling fight that can take place between opposing candidates … : a place where a battle is fought. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton held 200 electoral votes in 16 states and the District of Columbia, while Republican candidate Donald Trump held 179 electoral votes in 22 states. A Brief History of Electoral College Reform Efforts, analyzed the frequency of use for both phrases, analysis of presidential election coverage, How the 2020 Election Could End In an Electoral Tie, Here’s the Projected Electoral Map After the 2020 Census, The Electoral College Is Not About The Little Guy, Faithless Electors are a Ticking Time Bomb Waiting to Explode. The government has decided that when it comes to air travel, only dogs can be service animals, and companions used for emotional support don't count. Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.. Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. States where the polling averages a margin of victory of 5% or less could determine the election’s outcome. battleground n noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. Ballotpedia’s post-2016 analysis placed all of these states except Minnesota and Nevada in the group of 12 decisive states. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? But politics in its very first definition relates to the art of government. The National Constitution Center’s analysis of presidential election coverage found some consensus about battlegrounds from media outlets. In this case, the phrase was used to describe internal political strife in New Jersey politics. The most important factors in narrowing close states into the battleground category are recent margins of victory and polling. Merriam-Webster found an example of the phrase in an 1842 edition of the Centinel of Freedom. It is important to note that these shifts often take multiple elections to be realized or rejected. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Author: Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Matt Viser. More than a dozen states are considered swing states, and most of them hold a large number of electoral votes and are considered major prizes in presidential elections. The site also features a series of explainers about how presidents are actually elected in the United States. Presidential elections coincide with House, Senate, gubernatorial, and state legislative races that can influence voter decisions. Swing states are also sometimes referred to as battleground states. Voters and analysts can draw on data from past elections and current polling to anticipate these shifts in the political landscape. battleground - a region where a battle is being (or has been) fought; "they made a tour of Civil War battlefields" battlefield , field of battle , field of honor , field battlefront , front line , front - the line along which opposing armies face each other In U.S. politics, a battleground state is a state where the political race between a Republican and Democrat, usually presidential candidates, is extremely close. Etymology: From battle + grounds. In 2016, the National Constitution Center listed 11 states as definite battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Is It Realistic to Abolish the Electoral College? [...] | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples an area of contention, conflict, or hostile opposition: During that era the classroom became a battlefield of incompatible ideologies. 1. countable noun A battleground is the same as a battlefield. An analysis of presidential election results from 2000 to 2016 using margins of victory can solidify battleground states in our minds. Due to the way that presidential elections are run in the United States, the popular vote is not as important as the the individual tally of the states. During the 2020 presidential election cycle, Democrats in key battleground states went around GOP-controlled state legislatures to unconstitutionally change their voting rules and procedures. The comparable phrase “toss-up state” was used only 29 times in the six months of reviewed reports. He found a spectrum of usage from ABC’s 2.5-to-1 ratio of battleground state to swing state to MSNBC’s 1.8-to-1 ratio of swing state to battleground state. Media outlets and political pundits have identified a few battleground states heading into the 2020 presidential election. Trump campaign’s internal polling shows battleground voters prefer “orderly and peaceful” transition The Senate Reportedly Has The GOP Votes To Convict Trump If McConnell Gives The Green Light The House just passed a resolution calling on Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment NBC News drew on the 2018 midterm elections to remove battleground distinctions from Colorado and Ohio while suggesting Arizona and Georgia could join the swing state club. This analysis also found an unusual range of potential battlegrounds in 2012 with up to 21 states listed by covered outlets during the campaign. 2020 Presidential Election Interactive Map. : an area of conflict or disagreement. See the full definition for battleground … This section contains polls and election results for each of the battleground states. figurative (area of conflict) ( figurado ) campo de batalla loc nom m locución nominal masculina : Unidad léxica estable formada de dos o más palabras que funciona como sustantivo masculino ("ojo de buey", "agua mala"). If there is anything that both sides of the political spectrum can agree on this year, it is this: 2020 won't soon be forgotten. Arizona (click to expand) Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. See the full definition for battleground in the English Language Learners Dictionary, More from Merriam-Webster on battleground, Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for battleground, Britannica English: Translation of battleground for Arabic Speakers. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. The issue has been raised numerous times as the candidates make their final push to reach voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Fracking is a central element in the broader conversation on climate change and a constant source of friction between the oil-and-gas industry and environmentalists. the field or ground on which a battle is fought. (Definition of battleground from the Cambridge … Priorities USA Chairman Guy Cecil identified Florida, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, and New Hampshire as core states for Democratic campaigns. Justices Opened Door to Gerrymander Presidential Elections, How Trump Could Win Re-Election By One Electoral Vote, 3 Myths About Abolishing the Electoral College, 5 Reasons to Abolish the Electoral College, Another Look at the 2020 Battleground States, Imagining the 2024 Electoral Map After Redistricting, The Electoral College Penalizes Voters In High Turnout States, The Winner-Take-All Electoral College Isn’t In the Constitution. Four other battleground states – Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan – also saw declines in the share of White eligible voters between 2000 and 2018, though to a lesser extent. That's similar to 2012, when Democratic voters outnumbered Republican voters by 10 point… Hillary Clinton had a major advantage in get-out-the-vote efforts in this state — 18 percent of voters said they were contacted by the Clinton campaign alone, versus just 5 percent who were contacted by Donald Trump's campaign alone. Electoral Vote Map is an interactive map to help you follow the 2020 presidential election. These interchangeable phrases refer to states with closely divided support for Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021. But the election campaign over the coming weeks will be concentrated in the marginal battleground seats - … The remaining map of 12 states with 159 electoral votes decided the presidential election in Trump’s favor. North Carolina was the only state with margins of 5% or less in 2008, 2012, and 2016. The farmer's field was a civil war battleground, and relics such a minnie bullets were frequently found while plowing. the verdant hill suddenly turned into a bloody, With only about 14,000 votes separating President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump in, President Trump's reelection campaign is planning new rallies as part of a 30-day legal and media blitz contesting, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive last week, as did the Trump campaign’s director of, As the country waited through the vote counting in presidential election, Post the Definition of battleground to Facebook, Share the Definition of battleground on Twitter. In this case, the phrase was used to describe internal political strife in New Jersey politics. A state that had a margin of victory of 5% or less in the most recent presidential race shows a narrow divide among voters. What made you want to look up battleground? As election analysis has grown more sophisticated, it has been easier for campaigns to anticipate battlegrounds and narrow resources to the most dynamic states. By 2004, battleground state overtook swing state in popularity but both phrases are used by media outlets. The phrases “battleground state” and “swing state” are indispensable to the language used in modern presidential elections. Abortion was becoming the season's big political battleground. Additional states might evolve from Republican or Democratic locks to battlegrounds in future races. 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