One of the best resources on The New York Times is its electoral map feature, which emphasizes the swing states.
The feature takes readers through eight interactive steps, beginning with a map of the US that shows the influence of each state relative to its number of electoral votes. States like Florida, California, Texas, and New York, which have more electoral votes, appear larger than they normally would on a regular geographic map.
Below the map are descriptions of each state, its political leaning, and a description of why the swing states are important.
Readers may have seen maps like these before, but the Times takes it a step further. They walk users through seven voting scenarios showing strategies the candidates could employ, and the states they would need to take to win.
For example, it shows that Obama could win even if he lost Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia, and that Romney could win by focusing on the Southern and Western states.
The feature even allows readers to make up their own scenarios, dragging the states between the two candidates.
