What Is a Swing State and Why It Matters

— -- With Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump ramping up their campaigns as the presidential election heads into the home stretch, there will be a lot of discussion of how they are doing in swing states.

Since the presidential race in 2000, 40 states have voted for the same party in each election, meaning the other 10 states, where no party dominates, could play the determining role in this year's contest, or swing the election.

Some swing states – also known as battleground or purple states -- have a tradition of playing an even more important role than others. In Ohio, for instance, the last time the state's voters didn't pick the winner was back in 1960.

And beyond that, no Republican presidential candidate has ever won the election without the backing of the Buckeye State.

Learn more in the video above about why there’s such an emphasis on the swing states.