Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that rural votes can make or break presidential elections.
Kenneth Johnson co-authored a study with UNH Professor Dante Scala, looking at what would happen if Democratic candidates won or lost just 3% of rural votes across various swing states. They found that states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could tip favorably toward either party by a small margin in those rural areas.
“Our point is just that you can’t ignore rural America,” Johnson said. “That rural America is still relevant even though it represents a small part of the vote.”…