As Election Day looms over the country, millions of Americans who have not participated in early voting will take to the polls to cast their ballots. In a matter of hours, the nation will learn which candidate appealed to American voters the most as they choose to replace President Joe Biden with former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris.
While candidates have made vital, last-ditch efforts to motivate swing state voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, they are now working overtime in the super-tight, toss-up states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Numbers in all of these swing states have shifted, though, as both the Republican and Democratic Parties have seen record voter turnout for this presidential election.
The Associated Press has reported more than a whopping “77 million people participated in early voting — either in person or through the mail. So many people already cast ballots that some officials say the polls in states like Georgia might be a ‘ghost town’ on Election Day.”
AP attributed the massive turnout to a large number of Republican voters heading to the polls before November 5, while Democrats are expected to see a larger turnout on Election Day itself.
“One major reason for the surge is because Trump has generally encouraged his supporters to vote early this time, a reversal from 2020 when he called on Republicans to vote only in-person on Election Day. The early vote numbers confirm millions of Republicans have heeded Trump’s call in recent weeks.
The key question, however, is whether the surge of Republicans who voted early this time will ultimately cannibalize the number of Republicans who show up on Tuesday.
There are also shifts on the Democratic side. Four years ago, as the pandemic lingered, Democrats overwhelmingly cast their ballots early. But this time around, without the public health risk, it’s likely more Democrats will show up in person on Election Day.”
To mark the final countdown, AP reported Trump and Harris hitting the campaign trail hard in Pennsylvania, as it is no secret the Keystone State will likely be the most crucial in deciding the presidential winner.
“Over the final two weeks of the race, both candidates and their running mates held 16 events in Pennsylvania … In short, in Harris’ and Trump’s cross-country dance, Pennsylvania is the belle of the ball.”
A separate article detailed former President Trump’s schedule across Pennsylvania, which overlaps with some of Harris’ stops.
“Trump has later events in Reading, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh — both of which Harris is also visiting. The Republican nominee and former president ends his campaign the way he ended the first two, with a late-night event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.”
To make matters more nail-biting for both Republicans and Democrats, during the 2020 election President Biden only won Pennsylvania by 80,555 votes.
“Biden’s 2020 margin in Pennsylvania was about 80,000 votes out of more than 6.9 million votes. This year, it’s the spot where Harris and Trump met for the first time at their sole debate in September in Philadelphia,” according to AP.
Ultimately, the fate of the future U.S. Commander-in-Chief will rest upon the battleground states, with both Harris and Trump campaigns voicing confidence in voter turnout.
“Harris’ team has projected confidence in recent days, pointing to a large gender gap in early voting data and research showing late-deciding voters have broken her way. They also believe in the strength of their campaign infrastructure. This weekend, the Harris campaign had more than 90,000 volunteers helping turn out voters — and knocked on more than 3 million doors across the battleground states. Still, Harris aides have insisted she remains the underdog.
“Trump’s campaign says it’s feeling confident as well, arguing that the former president’s populist appeal will attract younger and working-class voters across racial and ethnic lines. The idea is that Trump can amass an atypical Republican coalition, even as other traditional GOP blocks — notably college-educated voters — become more Democratic.”
A Decision to Make
As the nation might recall, over the past four years, the United States endured crippling inflation on our households and economy, a chaotic and ill-governed southern border, major legal decisions which have rocked the country and a federal government which is involved in both the Ukraine-Russia War (2021) and the recent Israel-Hamas War (2023).
The past four years have culminated into today, Nov. 5. citizens of the United States will make their demands known as the chambers of Congress, the presidency and local offices all surrender to the whim of the most important force in American government and politics: the people.
Click here for information on when polls close in battleground states.
Click here for information on when polls close in any state.
Click here for live updates on the 2024 election from NBC News.
Click here for the Associated Press’ “US Elections 2024 Guide: Top 25 Things to Know”
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