Definition

Noun: A voter who does not consistently support a single political party and whose vote can change from one election to another, often deciding the result in a closely contested election.

Usage

A "swing voter" is an independent voter whose preferences are not fixed. Politicians and campaigns often target these voters because they can be persuaded.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The candidate focused her campaign on appealing to swing voters in the key battleground state.
  • Swing voters are crucial in a tight election because they can swing the result either way.

Advanced Usage

• "To court the swing voter": To actively try to gain the support of independent voters.
  • The new policy was designed specifically to court the swing voter.

Variants and Related Words

• Swing vote (n): The vote cast by a swing voter, or the collective power of such votes.
  • The senator's swing vote was decisive in passing the bill.
• Swing state (n): A US state where the number of swing voters makes the outcome of an election uncertain.
  • Ohio is often considered a critical swing state in presidential elections.

Synonyms

• Floating voter: A voter who does not vote for the same party every time.
• Undecided voter: A voter who has not yet chosen which candidate to support.
• Independent voter: A voter who is not registered with or loyal to a specific political party.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "To swing both ways": (Informal, from the concept of "swing") This idiom, often used in different contexts, shares the core idea of moving between two options. In politics, a "swing voter" is someone who can "swing" their support to either side.
  • Politically, he swings both ways, sometimes voting for conservatives and sometimes for liberals.

Noun

1. a voter who has no allegiance to any political party and whose unpredictable decisions can swing the outcome of an election one way or the other