President

2004 Vote | Here is WORLD's up-to-the-minute summary of where the race will be won or lost | The Editors

So many states, so little time. With days to go until Election Day, both parties are targeting eight to 10 swing states stretching from New Hampshire to Nevada with a last-minute barrage of ads and campaign visits. That's a lot of ground to cover, but it could have been worse. After his coronation at the Democratic National Convention, John Kerry talked optimistically of forcing President Bush to defend safely Republican states like Virginia, Louisiana, and Arizona. One by one those states have dropped off the political radar, along with swing states such as Missouri and West Virginia. Now Mr. Kerry can count on one hand the states he might realistically steal from the president's column. As always in politics, things are subject to change—but this late in the game, it would probably take an outside event such as a terrorist attack to shift the dynamics of the contest. Barring that, here is WORLD's up-to-the-minute summary of where the race will be won or lost.