197 Electoral College Votes Are Rated as Toss-Ups

October 20, 2020: RealClearPolitics rates 12 states and two congressional districts as toss-ups heading into the final weeks of Election 2020.[1] That’s a slightly higher level of competitiveness compared to 2016 when 171 electoral votes were in the toss-up category.[2]

Toss-ups:

Pennsylvania (20)

Georgia (16)

Florida (29)

Iowa (6)

Wisconsin (10)

Nevada (6)

Michigan (16)

Texas (38)

North Carolina (15)

Maine CD2 (1)

Arizona (11)

Minnesota (10)

Ohio (18)

Nebraska CD2 (1)

Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of Electoral College votes.

According to RealClearPolitics, former Vice President Joe Biden leads in states with 216 Electoral College votes while President Trump leads in states with 125.[1] That’s a modestly bigger advantage than former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton enjoyed over Trump four years ago.[2]

Two-hundred seventy electoral votes are needed to win the presidency. To reach that number, Biden must win 27.5% of the toss-ups. To be re-elected, Trump must win 74%.[1]

Footnotes:

1. RealClearPolitics, "2020 Electoral College Map," accessed October 19, 2020
2. RealClearPolitics, "Battle for White House," accessed October 19, 2020

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author. Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author. Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read Scott Rasmussen’s Reports — More Here.