Is winning in Florida the key to becoming President? Donald Trump and Joe Biden both visit Tampa - a podcast by 5 News

Florida has backed the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1996 - but what makes the state the most likely to elect a leader?

President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden have both made Florida a battleground in the final few days of the election campaign.

The area is known as a swing-state and the Trump campaign has been keen to target voters in what the President refers to as his 'home state'.

Dr Susan MacManus is a political analyst at the University of South Florida, she was born and raised just outside Tampa and spoke to Andy Bell from the house her grandfather built in the 1920s.

She says it's not only Florida's 29 electoral votes that make the state such a key focus point for candidates. The state is home to a rich diversity of age, race, politics and occupation which leads to a lot of difference in opinion and voting intentions - meaning it really can all come down to the wire.

In 2000, it did exactly that. Just 537 votes were the difference between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, resulting in President Bush taking his place in the White House.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

Further episodes of HOW DID WE GET HERE? Explaining The News

Further podcasts by 5 News

Website of 5 News