Here’s how the history of American elections has evolved. by Radio-Canada

The 2024 U.S. presidential election highlighted a deeply polarized political landscape where a few swing states decided the outcome. Kamala Harris (Democrat) and Donald Trump (Republican) competed for 270 electoral votes, with most states using a "winner-takes-all" system, except for Maine and Nebraska, which divided votes proportionally.

Historically Republican rural states like Wyoming remained loyal to Trump, while urban centers like California supported Harris. Swing states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia, shaped by demographic shifts, played pivotal roles. Over the decades, the number of competitive states has dramatically declined, reflecting increasing polarization and migration to politically homogeneous regions.

The Electoral College's structure continued to favor smaller states disproportionately, influencing campaign strategies. Democrats leveraged urban and suburban support, while Republicans focused on rural areas. As urbanization shaped voting dynamics, the election tested whether Trump’s rural-focused strategy could counter Harris’s advantage in urban and suburban regions, ultimately illustrating the challenges of coalition-building in a polarized nation.