With merely a week left until the election, the Democratic and Republican parties in Wisconsin are doing all they can to make the state “swing” their way.

This year’s presidential race will likely come down to voters in just seven states. Wisconsin, labeled a “toss-up” state, is highly unpredictable, but has the potential to put one candidate over the top with its 10 votes in the Electoral College, as it did for President Joe Biden in 2020. The winner of the state has gone on to win the White House in the past four elections.

Understanding its importance, both presidential candidates have frequented Wisconsin on their campaign trail this year.

Vice President Kamala Harris held her first rally as presidential nominee in the swing state on July 23. At the event in Milwaukee, Harris said, “The path to the White House goes through Wisconsin.”

Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump visited the state four times in only eight days. “They say that Wisconsin is probably the toughest of the swing states to win,” Trump said. “I don’t think so.”

In Wisconsin, political opinions are kept far from quiet. The more rural the area, the bigger the Trump signs seem to get. Just outside of River Falls, along Highway 35, multiple shipping containers have been stacked and decked in a huge Trump sign on one side, while the famous image of the former president’s assassination attempt by AP photographer Evan Vucci covers the other. 

While there are many deep red rural areas in Wisconsin, most urban areas are deep blue. 

In the suburbs, neighboring homes seem to be screaming at each other with opposing political signs scattered across front yards. It’s clear that Wisconsin voters are far from unified.

In 2016, the state went red for Trump, while in 2020 it went blue for Biden. Both times the margin of votes was less than one percentage point.

Local county parties in Wisconsin have been working tirelessly through phone banking, rallies, door knocking, community events, and social media activity to promote their parties’ candidates. 

“It’s amazing how many people really take the time out of their busy schedules and do the work that needs to be done,” said Matthew Rust, chairman of the entirely volunteer-based St. Croix County Republican party in western Wisconsin.

St. Croix County, like many counties in Wisconsin, is a political battleground. Political races here are usually very close, but Republicans are confident in the county and the state in this election.

“There is a lot of optimism. When we’re out talking to people, the energy this year is significantly different than I’ve seen over the past few years,” said Rust. 

Rust said that this year’s campaigns have seen a lot of grassroots mobilization as well.

“I’ve been receiving calls from people in Minnesota that are asking how they can help and volunteer in St. Croix County because Minnesota is more blue,” Rust said. “So they’re saying, ‘I want to come over to Wisconsin and help.’”

Democrats in the county are optimistic as well. 

“There’s so much excitement on our side,” said Paul Hambleton, chair of the St. Croix County Democrats who is also on the county’s ballot this year for state senate. 

“Now it’s get out the vote time. That’s what we’re focusing on, early voting. And people are doing it. It’s pretty incredible to see,” said Hambleton.

Across the nation, over 41 million people have already cast their ballots in person and through mail-in ballots. Early voting in Wisconsin started on Oct. 22, two weeks before election day. 

Emerson students Laina Gustafson, 18, and Andie Andraca, 19, both sent their Wisconsin ballots by mail from Boston. In their first presidential election, the women have been thinking about their home state and the potential impacts of this election. 

“Some of my family members are LGBTQ and special needs and the fact that they might lose some of the support and the programs that they rely on because of an election like this, that’s really scary. It’s very high stakes for them,” said Gustafson, a first-year journalism student who just moved to Massachusetts from Cross Plains, Wisconsin, a few months ago.

Gustafson said she’s noticed some major differences between the states in her first semester at Emerson.

“It was just night and day crazy, how it’s a normal thing to talk about politics here,” she said. “I feel like in Wisconsin, it’s so polarized that people just avoid politics altogether.” 

Andraca, a sophomore business of creative enterprises student, is a proud born and raised Wisconsinite from White Fish Bay, who came to Emerson for the unique major. Her mother is a democratic Wisconsin state assembly representative, so Andraca has been following the election closely as well.

“It’s really cool to know that I’m making a difference since Wisconsin is one of the five big states. I’m glad that it feels like my vote will do something,” Andraca said.

Andraca is hopeful that Wisconsin will go blue.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of turnout in the suburbs, and I think Wisconsin is just a lot more liberal than people give it credit for,” Andraca said.

This election is the first for the vast majority of Emerson students. Estimates show that over eight million youth are aging into the electorate in 2024, and 47 percent of newly eligible voters are youth of color. 

In total, 41 million members of Gen Z are eligible to vote this year. Studies show that Gen Z leans more liberal, which could have a big impact on the election.

Wisconsin, however, remains unpredictable. Presidential polls in the state are always tight and ever-changing. 

An October Emerson College poll shows Trump leading Harris by 1% in the state, while an ABC news poll shows that as of Oct. 26, Harris is leading Trump by just .1 percentage point.

A concrete answer can only be expected after election day in the too-close-to-call state.

“I love Wisconsin, and I want to be proud, especially being here now and telling people I’m from Wisconsin. So I’m definitely hoping that we go blue,” said Gustafson. “But I’m also hoping that if we go red, people just don’t assume everybody voted red because that’s not gonna be the truth. It’s gonna be neck and neck.”