7 Counties in 7 Days: A cross-country road trip to 7 key places in the battle for president

Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona.

Though 50 states will vote, these seven battlegrounds likely will determine whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States.

But which way will they swing?

The USA TODAY Network team traveled to seven counties ― one in each swing state ― whose voters will play a pivotal role in determining whether former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins their state ― and, ultimately, the presidency.

Join us for 7 Counties in 7 Days: our cross-country trip across America as we talk to voters and election officials about their hopes, concerns, fears and expectations for the two candidates in a presidential race like no other.

Richmond County, Georgia

Georgia being heavily targeted by both presidential campaigns and Richmond County may hold important clues to whether Trump or Harris can prevail. Election officials fear they may get another razor-thin outcome.

Cabarrus County, North Carolina

Recent polling shows Trump and Harris in a tight race in North Carolina, a state Democrats haven't won since 2008. In Cabarrus County, voter registration has surged in the past decade, with people of color leading the way.

Erie County, Pennsylvania

In 2020, Erie County became one of just 25 counties out of 3,143 nationwide to "boomerang" from Obama to Trump to Biden. Now, with many voters looking to the Keystone state as the key to victory in 2024, Erie County Republicans have cut into Democrats voter registration edge.

Oakland County, Michigan

Oakland County, is the richest county Michigan and its population of 1.3 million makes it so large that it has more people than eight states. Abortion rights has been a key issue in the county, where 64% of voters approved a 2022 ballot initiative to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution.

Waukesha County, Wisconsin

Waukesha County, Milwaukee's immediate neighbor to the west, is the third-most populous county in the state, and the only “red” county in the top three, trailing the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee and Dane counties. Democrats are working to cut into the Republican advantage in the county.

Washoe County, Nevada

Washoe County, home to Reno, has a reputation of being the most politically divided region of the state. Washoe County has a diverse political makeup: 32% of its registered voters are Republican, 30% Democratic, 30% nonpartisan and 8% some other party such as Independent American, Libertarian or Green.

Maricopa County, Arizona

Joe Biden became the first Democrat since Bill Clinton to win Arizona in 2020. Biden won the county by about 49,000 votes in 2020. While Democrats have pressed heavily on abortion rights, Republicans have sought to make political gains on border security.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet 7 swing counties that could decide America's next president