ELECTORAL VOTES 21

2008 ELECTION Swing State

ABOUT
PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania, where the U.S. Constitution was written, was the second state admitted to the Union, officially becoming a state in December 1787. The Keystone State has participated in all 55 presidential elections through 2004. Pennsylvania is considered a swing state, although it has voted Democratic in the last four elections. In 2004, John Kerry won over George W. Bush by about 2.5 percent. While still an important prize, with 21 electoral votes, Pennsylvania, like many industrial northern states, has seen population migrate away in recent decades. Peaking at 38 electoral votes in the 1910s and 1920s (second only to New York), the state has lost 45 percent of its electoral clout in 80 years. The state may lose another electoral vote in 2012, depending on the outcome of the 2010 census.