Pennsylvania has 20 votes out of the 538 total votes of the Electoral College. Although this may seem like an insignificant amount of influence, that is surely not the case.
This is because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a swing state. Swing states are nationally acknowledged as states that hold a large majority of support from both of the major parties in the United States of America. Meaning, that depending on the year and the support towards the candidates running, the constituents in these states may vote in a way that turns their state either blue or red for the length of the sitting President's term. This is in stark contrast between states that consistently vote for one party (i.e. New York, Wyoming, etc.). And, if the election is close enough on a national scale, it places the election in the hands of the 13-15 possible swing states throughout the nation.
So no, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's measly 20 votes are not something inconsequential. These 20 votes help to define the voters' trends, the beliefs of the people who live there, and the distribution and effect of advertisements throughout the whole of the United States swing states.
On that note, with the use of analytics to breakdown voter preferences towards certain candidates and elections, swing states provide political teams with the opportunity to implement them as an integral key to understand the citizens of a particular state.
Unlike a state that follows a voting pattern consistent with a particular party, swing states are malleable, in a way that allows politicians to unlock a greater understanding of what changes the minds of, and constructs the political opinions of their constituents. Was there an influx of television ads from the other party, or did they spend the time going through every district to familiarize themselves and their message by talking to the people who live there?? Questions like these help to dissect the pivotal aspects of a winning campaign, and allow consciousness of the factors that need to be incorporated into the opposing parties campaign, to attempt to combat them headfirst.
Currently, Pennsylvania and many other swing states, front elections full of canvassing, phone banking, and meet the candidate gatherings. This strategy has been formed by the use of analytics to determine which constituents are considered the base of the party and those who could vote in either direction. Targeting specific groups like these, allows for the distinct marketing of the party and their candidates, in ways that will be received in a positive manner.
Swing states warrant the use of these advertising tactics to encourage continuous support of a party, and prevent swing states from turning entirely one color. These competitive elections support our system of democracy and prove that our voices and votes matter, and that's what makes our system so great.
