November 4, 2024

Hesitant progressives are "swapping" their votes with blue states

Arizona and other swing state voters are eligible to “swap” their votes with other people in predominantly Democratic states.

Trump Harris vote ballot 2024 The Presidential race is at the top of the ballot for the 2024 election.
AC Swedbergh / AZPM

Certain activists and left-leaning voters who are dissatisfied with Kamala Harris, but still want to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, are encouraging a legal vote-swapping practice in Arizona and other swing states.

The Swap Your Vote movement connects voters in swing states with two voters in what they call “safe” Democratic states.

The swing state voter casts a vote for Harris, while the two in the Democratic state cast protest votes or third-party votes. About 8,000 voters have participated in the matching system as of Monday, Nov. 4, according to swapyourvote.org.

Created by pro-Palestinian activists, the movement aims to elect Harris over Trump while keeping pressure on a potential future Harris administration for their foreign policy in the Israel-Hamas war.

“Voting for president is challenging this year because of US support for the bombardment of Gaza, unchecked corporate greed, the climate emergency, and more. But there’s a way to vote strategically and with our conscience,” the website reads.

There is no way to ensure that voters will uphold their end of the swap, but the movement’s website encourages establishing a personal connection with the pairing to hold people accountable.

Eligible swing states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

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