Map shows TV ad spending (in millions), by state, during the general-election campaign's first 6 weeks
Over a billion dollars has been spent by the presidential campaigns so far on TV ads, and the spending has been concentrated in 13 closely divided battleground states. Meanwhile, 37 other states and DC are being ignored.
Seven out of eight dollars has been spent in just 6 states -- Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Arizona. The 6 states where $884,000,000 (of the $1,015,000,000) is being spent are shown in green on the map.
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These same 6 states have also received almost all (60 of 76) of the presidential and vice-presidential campaign events since the nominating conventions.
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The reason why voters in these particular states are getting attention from presidential candidates is that most states award their electoral votes to the candidate who gets the most popular votes inside each separate state. Because of these so-called "winner-take-all" laws, candidates only pay attention to voters if they live in a state where the presidential race is within a few percentage points.
The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate receiving the most popular votes in all 50 states and D.C.
National Popular Vote offers a way to make every voter in every state matter in every presidential election.
