Kamala Harris’ first post-debate rally in Pennsylvania will take place this Friday in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area, a key stop in the swing state.

The event will take place at Wilkes University, according to the Times Guideas part of a blitz tour of the most important swing states ahead of the presidential election in November.

“The event will take place in the evening and details regarding format and capacity will be determined by the Harris campaign. We will share that information as it becomes available,” Wilkes University President Greg Cant said in a statement.

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Harris will likely be joined in the campaign by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as Democrats and Republicans try to win over undecided voters.

Scranton is in Lackawanna County, while Wilkes-Barre is in Luzerne County.

In 2020, Biden won in his birthplace by 8 points, while Trump won in his hometown by about 14 points.

Why is Pennsylvania a swing state?

Both counties are hotly contested areas during election periods and are historically known for their extremely large Polish and other Slavic communities.

Northeast Pennsylvania as a whole is a melting pot of many ethnic groups, including Irish, Italian, Polish, Russian and other communities, and therefore represents a key area for the candidates.

The state’s diversity has helped cement its status as a swing state, with Philadelphia’s urban, more liberal population contrasting with conservative voters in rural areas and Pittsburgh.

The state’s swings have been a factor since the early years of the United States, and while it has remained loyal to one party or the other for long periods of time, candidates in recent elections have spent time and money trying to appeal to voters who have changed their minds from year to year.

In 2024, it is Kamala Harris and Donald Trump who hope to win the state’s crucial 19 votes in the Electoral College.

How has Pennsylvania influenced past elections?

The state acquired its modern role as a swing state, along with Florida and Michigan, during the election campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000.

Gore won the state in 2000, and the next three races, all of which were close, went to Democrats.

Then, in 2016, Trump swept Pennsylvania red with 48.6 percent of the vote, while Hillary Clinton got 47.9 percent. The difference between the two was less than 50,000 votes.

The state’s competitiveness was also evident in this year’s election for the U.S. Senate seat, which incumbent Republican Pat Toomey won by a similarly narrow margin.

In 2020, Pennsylvania switched back to the Democrats and elected Joe Biden, who later won the White House.

Because it is the most populous swing state, getting those 19 Electoral College votes is crucial for both candidates in 2024. The Associated Press writes that the loser of the state will have a hard time winning the election.

Without her, no Democrat has won the White House since 1948.

At the same time, there will be another hotly contested race for the Senate seat in 2024, which could influence whether or not the Democrats recapture the chamber.

What are the swing states in the 2024 election?

In addition to Pennsylvania, there are six other important swing states in which the two candidates will try to get the 270 electoral college votes that are crucial for victory.

They are:

• Arizona
• Georgia
• Michigan
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Wisconsin

If Kamala Harris can win over the voters she meets this week, it could help her secure one of the blue wall states that could bring her victory.

Donald Trump, who has visited Pennsylvania several times, will visit Arizona on Thursday and Nevada on Friday. Harris will visit North Carolina on Thursday.