http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WorldNewsTonight/battlegrounds_poll_040422.htmlPotential Battlegrounds
Most of the 17 states were relatively close in 2000, when Al Gore won the popular vote (and nine of these states), but Bush won the Electoral College. But six of them weren't all that close — decided by five percentage points or more. This year, they're best described as "potential" battlegrounds; some may not be.
It's a misnomer to call these all "swing" states, because that suggests they swing between Democratic and Republican majorities in presidential races. Some do: from 1976 to 2000, Ohio and Michigan each had four Republican winners and three Democrats, and Pennsylvania favored four Democrats and three Republicans. But others don't: Minnesota has had seven straight Democratic winners. Arizona has voted for a Democrat for president just twice since 1948; New Hampshire, just three times; and, before Bill Clinton, Nevada hadn't backed a Democrat for 24 years.
The other states on the list are Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Missouri,
New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Five of them — Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Oregon and Wisconsin — were decided by less than one percentage point four years ago, with Gore winning all but Florida.