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Voters in the US will go to the polls on 5 November to elect their next president, with Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump locked up in one of the closest contests in modern American history.
The US has an Electoral College system with the winner expected to have at least 270 electoral college votes out of 538.
While surprises are rare but cannot be ruled out, the contest is clearer in several states that are likely to vote for either of the candidates with polls outside the margin of error.
Consequently, the contest will be decided by a handful of states that each of the candidates is eyeing with a flurry of activities in the homestretch.
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Polls have consistently ranked the two leading candidates within the margin of error where it matters the most in the seven states.
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VP Harris who replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic party candidate quickly overturned Trump’s lead reviving hopes of victory for the Democratic Party after.
As of Saturday, more than 73 million Americans had already cast ballots according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida with both sides analysing trends and marshalling their supporters in a last-minute dash to the finish line that will determine who becomes the 47th President of the US.
Pennsylvania
It is one of the so-called Blue Wall considered a swing state this year, with both candidates keen on bagging the 19 electoral college votes.
Trump clinched the state on his way to victory in 2016 before losing it to President Biden in 2020.
Its importance is reflected in the heightened political activities and investment on either side with Vice President Harris keen on not letting it slip from the grip of Democratic party.
Georgia
With 16 electoral college votes, Georgia was at the center of trump’s indictment in an election interference case after he called state officials urging them to "find" enough votes to overturn Biden's win by a narrow margin in 2020.
Until Biden’s win, the state had been in the firm grip of Republicans since 1992.
While Trump is keen on bagging the state he floored Hillary Clinton, the Democtratic party Candidate is hopeful that history will repeat itself.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin has 10 electoral college votes on offer with Harris keen on maintaining the party Blue, having been flipped by Biden in 2020.
Polling average by 270towin place Harris in the lead as of November 3, 2024, with a 0.8% lead that is within the margin of error.
Michigan
After voting blue in six consecutive elections, Michigan flipped red in 2016 and saw Trump trounce Clinton.
He however failed to secure victory in 2020 with Biden collecting the electoral college votes.
Both candidates are eyeing the 15 electoral college votes that the rustbelt state has to offer.
Arizona
Border Security has been a campaign topic in the state that has 11 electoral college votes and which was slipped from Republican party’s grip in 2020 when Biden bagged the prize.
Trump won the electoral college vote in 2016 when he pulled he proved most pollsters wrong to clinch the presidency.
The state has voted Republican since 1952 except for Bill Clinton’s win in 1996, and Biden’s victory in 2020.
North Carolina
North Carolina has voted red in the last three elections, something that Trump is keen on maintaining while Harris will be glad to reverse and achieve a feat that former President Barrack Obama did on his way to victory in 2008.
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The prize for the winner is the 16 electoral college votes that has both candidates on the edge with Trump having a lead of 1.2% according to 270towin that tracks averages of polls.
Nevada
The last four elections have seen the state vote blue.
VP Harris is hopeful that the trend will remain even as 270towin shows Trump with a razor-sharp lead of 0.6%.
On offer to the winner are six electoral college votes that could be the difference between victory and defeat.