The 2024 presidential election is now behind us. In many ways, it was magnificent. Over 150 million Americans voted in myriad elections on over 15,000 candidates . Thousands of election officials and election workers quietly stepped up to yet again orchestrate this complicated and hectic day with no significant issues.
But while the election’s scale was inspiring, its competitiveness was anything but. Despite some nail biters here in Iowa, few races for the House or Senate were truly competitive in the rest of the country.
Then there was the presidential race: Yet again, only seven so-called swing states determined the outcome. Those states attracted the press, the candidates, and a jaw-dropping amount of money . The other 43 “noncompetitive” states did not.
Most states get no attention in our presidential elections because, unlike other democracies, we do not follow the principle of “one person, one vote.” Between our antiquated Electoral College and winner-take-all systems , any votes beyond the 50% mark in a state simply don’t matter.