US election: It’s voting day – What polls say; what Harris, Trump are up to

2 weeks ago 9

On the eve of Election Day in the United States, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris blitzed through battleground states while trying to drive home key promises to supporters and voters still on the fence.

Vice President Harris zoned in on cities across Pennsylvania while former President Trump made stops in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

The Democratic candidate was joined by pop culture figures including Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey, while Trump called to stage his sons and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, with whom he once had a contentious relationship.

What are the latest updates from the polls?

The race continues to remain tight according to the latest polls, with key swing states presenting narrow leads for both candidates.

According to FiveThirtyEight’s daily tracker, Harris has a 1.2-point lead over Trump nationally, a margin that has remained fairly static in recent days, though it has shrunk compared with a month ago.

In swing states, Harris has a one-point advantage in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Meanwhile, Trump’s lead in Georgia and North Carolina has shrivelled to under one point, while he is ahead by 2.2 points in Arizona.

In Pennsylvania and Nevada, less than half a point separates the two: Harris has sneaked ahead in the former, though only marginally, after trailing Trump narrowly for the past two weeks; while the Republican candidate is barely ahead in Nevada.

Yet, the gap between the two candidates remains within the margin of error of polls in all seven swing states.

Pennsylvania has 19 Electoral College votes, the most among the battleground states, while Nevada has the fewest – six.

Still, Al Jazeera correspondent John Holman said that Nevada could prove to be crucial because of how close the race is. Key election issues resonate strongly here, with Nevada facing one of the highest unemployment rates and costs of living in the US.

More than 82 million Americans have already voted this year, according to a tally by the Election Lab at the University of Florida. The figure represents more than half of the total votes cast in the 2020 presidential election.

What was Kamala Harris up to on Monday?

Harris spent the final day campaigning in Pennsylvania.

The Democratic candidate started off with an event in Scranton, the hometown of President Joe Biden. She continued touting a message of unity while stating that the country is ready to move on from the Trump era.

Between rallies, Harris stopped by the Old San Juan Cafe, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Reading, Pennsylvania, trying to woo a community that has a large electoral presence in the state and that has come into focus after a comedian made racist comments about the US territory at a Trump event recently.

In the afternoon, Harris made her way to the steel city of Pittsburgh where she pledged to sign into law a national reproductive rights bill if passed by Congress.

Harris capped off the day with a big rally in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which featured music stars Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, as well as influential media personality Oprah Winfrey.

What was Donald Trump up to on Monday?

Donald Trump continued his campaign with a whirlwind tour through North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

In his first stop at Raleigh, North Carolina, the Republican candidate claimed a decisive advantage in the presidential race, which he said was “ours to lose”.

Trump went on to attack Harris on crime and immigration, arguing that “you’ll have open borders the very first day” if she is elected.

The stop marked Trump’s third consecutive day in the state while Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle reported an unusually low turnout in Raleigh, describing the venue as “only half full”, with empty seats visible around the edges.

Later, Trump went to Reading, Pennsylvania, where he again suggested that he would carry out mass deportations by invoking an antiquated law, and to get Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters to battle migrants.

Trump said he told UFC CEO Dana White – a backer of the former president – to set up a league. “At the end, I want the migrant to go against the champion, and I think the migrant might actually win, that’s how nasty some of these guys are,” Trump said. “But I don’t know, I doubt that,” he added, trailing off.

He also reiterated unfounded election fraud claims.

Trump also said Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, who could siphon votes from Democrats in some swing states, particularly those outraged by the war in Gaza, “may be my favourite politician”.

He ended his day in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a final appeal to voters.

What’s next for the Harris and Trump campaigns?

Hailing from California, Harris has voted absentee by mail. Her home state, which carries 54 Electoral College votes, is anticipated to vote Democratic this year, continuing a trend that has lasted for the past 36 years.

According to the NPR radio network, Harris will host a watch party at her alma mater, Howard University, in Washington, DC. The District of Columbia, with its three Electoral votes, is expected to support the Democratic candidate, consistent with its historical backing in every presidential election.

Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign announced plans last week to host an election watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center instead of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.

Despite previously indicating he would vote early, Trump has decided to cast his ballot in Florida on Election Day. Throughout this election cycle, he has encouraged Americans to vote early, even while expressing doubts about the integrity of the electoral process.

Florida, with its 30 Electoral votes, was for many years a swing state, won by former President Barack Obama twice and by Trump in 2016 and 2020. This year, however, Trump is favoured to secure a comfortable victory in the state.

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