On this episode: Pivot Counties are the 206 counties nationwide we identified as having voted for Barack Obama (D) in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Media and political observers sometimes refer to these counties as swing counties. Ballotpedia defined Pivot Counties Trump won in 2020 as Retained Pivot Counties and those Joe Biden (D) won as Boomerang Pivot Counties.

While vote totals are still being tabulated in some states, as of November 6th 2024, there were:

• 169 Pivot Counties across 27 states that Trump won in 2020 and 2024

• Two Pivot Counties—one each in Vermont and Connecticut—that Trump won in 2020 and Harris won in 2024

• 14 Pivot Counties across 10 states that voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024

• Seven Pivot Counties across six states that voted for Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Harris in 2024

Check out our full analysis of pivot counties: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2024:_Pivot_Counties_in_the_2024_presidential_election 

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*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.