Georgia's role in shaping the next US presidency: Will Arab and Lebanese voters tip the scale for Trump or Harris?

Report by Rawad Taha, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Seven swing states in the U.S. presidential election will decide which candidate will reach the White House: Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Georgia, in particular, awards the winner 16 electoral votes out of a total of 538, while a candidate needs 270 to reach the White House. 

This state has historically leaned Republican; from 1996 to 2016, it was a stronghold for the Republican Party. In 2016, Donald Trump won it by a margin of 5%, defeating Hillary Clinton.

In 2020, Joe Biden narrowly won Georgia by a slim majority of 49.47% compared to Trump's 49.24%, with a margin of just 0.23%, or about 11,800 votes.

According to the latest statistics from the 538 website, Trump is currently leading Kamala Harris by 2%, making it the most favorable state for him among the seven battleground states. 

Notably, the number of Arab voters in the state is estimated at 57,000, making the votes of Arabs, particularly Lebanese, crucial in determining the identity of the next president.

So, which candidate, Harris or Trump, will be able to sway the Arab and Lebanese vote?