Swing vote

Common card · No. 432410

A swing vote is a vote that is seen as potentially going to any one of a number of candidates in an election, or, in a two-party system, may go to either of the two dominant political parties. It usually comes from voters who are 'undecided' or who may change their preferences between candidates or parties. Such votes are usually sought after in election campaigns, since they can play a big role in determining the outcome. A swing voter or floating voter is a voter who may not be affiliated with a particular political party (Independent) or who will vote across party lines. In American politics, many centrists, liberal Republicans, conservative Democrats, and inconsistent voters are considered "swing voters" since their voting patterns cannot be predicted as easily as voters in “safe seat” voters. While the swing voter is ostensibly the target of most political activity during elections, another factor is the success of each party in rallying its core support. In a two-party system, those...

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