'Swing Vote' is that kind of movie that makes one think that it could have turned to be a better film if only the script would have been more crisp and more realistic. Common as it may sound, the idea that politicians would say anything just to win the elections could have set the premises for a more involving movie, if only a better plot would have been created.

The entire movie revolves around Ernest 'Bud' Johnson, played by Kevin Costner, on whose vote the result of the entire election depends on. Bud is an egg inspector at a farm in a little New Mexico town who cares only about his girl Molly, portrayed by Madeline Carroll. Bud has a little bit of a drinking problem, but still Molly loves him a lot and takes really good care of him, making one wonder who the real parent in the family really is.

Molly convinces her father to go and vote the candidate that he wants to become president, and Bud decides to do so, even though he doesn't really care about any of these. As the day of the elections comes, he is fired from work because of his character and the fact that he is always late. Upset by the situation, Bud goes drinking and eventually forgets to do what he promised to his daughter.

However, because of a computer malfunction, it appears that he did vote, but his ballot was not taken into account. Since there is a perfect tie between the Republican and the Democratic candidates, it all comes down to Bud's vote, who suddenly enters the media spotlight.

Both the Republican president and the Democratic challenger go to Bud's hometown and try to convince him that they are the persons who deserve to become President.