In the Summer of 2004, two young journalists from New York set out for the heartland of America to observe how the people of their country went about choosing our President. Their journey took them to a state that had voted with the winner of every presidential election since 1964, to a place that would emblematic of a divided nation.

Set during the final 30 days of the 2004 election, Swing State Ohio provides a unique perspective into the mindset of the American voter and the perennial importance of Ohio as a key battleground state. Driven by a genuine desire to understand the electoral process, the filmmakers interview a wide array of voters and activists in the Buckeye state, including an outspoken Evangelical who breaks down the “gay marriage” issue, a liberal 21 year-old canvasser who voices her generation’s concerns over the war in Iraq and the economy, and a colorful old tobacco farmer with a knack one-liners and homespun political wisdom.

While most political documentaries have an ideological axe to grind, Swing State Ohio offers a refreshingly balanced take on the good, the bad and the ugly of the electoral process. The effect is an entertaining, insightful, and at times disturbing appraisal of democracy in America at the turn of the 21st century.

Watch the trailer below: