the field or ground on which a battle is fought. The most important factors in narrowing close states into the battleground category are recent margins of victory and polling. an area of contention, conflict, or hostile opposition: During that era the classroom became a battlefield of incompatible ideologies. An NPR report from August 2019 identified Texas as a potential battleground state due to demographic changes and turnover in the congressional delegation. An analysis of presidential election results from 2000 to 2016 using margins of victory can solidify battleground states in our minds. There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom. Political analyst Kyle Kondik published an analysis that listed Arizona, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin as pure toss-up states. (figurative) Any subject of dispute or contention. See the full definition for battleground in the English Language Learners Dictionary, More from Merriam-Webster on battleground, Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for battleground, Britannica English: Translation of battleground for Arabic Speakers. What If All States Split Their Electoral Votes. Author: Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Matt Viser. Merriam-Webster found an example of the phrase in an 1842 edition of the Centinel of Freedom. The roster of consensus battleground states fluctuated from 11 in 2004 to six in 2008 and nine in 2012. (Definition of battleground from the Cambridge … States where the polling averages a margin of victory of 5% or less could determine the election’s outcome. Media outlets and political pundits have identified a few battleground states heading into the 2020 presidential election. Click on the state's name for more information. Trump campaign’s internal polling shows battleground voters prefer “orderly and peaceful” transition The Senate Reportedly Has The GOP Votes To Convict Trump If McConnell Gives The Green Light The House just passed a resolution calling on Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment Find more ways to say battleground, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Another word for battleground. "Battleground states" are states where voters are fairly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. battleground - a region where a battle is being (or has been) fought; "they made a tour of Civil War battlefields" battlefield , field of battle , field of honor , field battlefront , front line , front - the line along which opposing armies face each other Swing state … 'Nail-Biter', 'Battleground State', and... “Battleground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battleground. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin each reach this margin in three elections. But politics in its very first definition relates to the art of government. The government has decided that when it comes to air travel, only dogs can be service animals, and companions used for emotional support don't count. This section contains polls and election results for each of the battleground states. The only states to reach this margin in four of the five elections were Florida and Ohio. 2. countable noun You can refer to an issue or field of activity over which people disagree or compete as a battleground. By 2004, battleground state overtook swing state in popularity but both phrases are used by media outlets. Before evaluating battleground states, it is useful to categorize states outside of the battleground definition. This analysis also found an unusual range of potential battlegrounds in 2012 with up to 21 states listed by covered outlets during the campaign. A state government divided between a governor of one party and a legislature held by the other party reveals tensions amplified by presidential elections. In American politics, the term swing state (or battleground state) refers to any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican presidential candidate by a swing in votes. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). A location where a battle may be fought, or has been fought. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021. Additional states might evolve from Republican or Democratic locks to battlegrounds in future races. [...] | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Although Cook is used here as a barometer for outside battleground ratings, we could have easily applied this example to Sabato's Crystal Ball, FairVote Monopoly Politics or the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as seen in the final section of this report where we compare 2014 coverage. More than a dozen states are considered swing states, and most of them hold a large number of electoral votes and are considered major prizes in presidential elections. 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