Trump and Harris Make Final Push to Rally Voters on Election Eve
The world is anxiously watching the election, which is set to have profound implications for conflicts in the Middle East and Russia's war in Ukraine,
and for tackling climate change.
Now a race of dramatic twists, including two bids to kill Trump and Harris's shock late entrance is coming down to the most viciously fought-over
battleground.
The United States is witnessing a presidential election like no other in its history, with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris leading their campaigns into the final full day on Monday. Both are making last-ditch efforts to drive their supporters to the polls, each framing the election as a pivotal moment for the nation’s future.
Despite a whirlwind of dramatic events in recent months, the electorate remains starkly divided—both nationwide and in the seven critical battleground states expected to determine Tuesday’s outcome. However, the final result may remain unclear for days with the race as close as it is.
Trump, the 78-year-old Republican, narrowly survived two assassination attempts, one of which came within millimetres. This comes only weeks after a New York jury—the same city whose tabloids first catapulted him to national prominence—convicted him, marking the former president’s first felony conviction.
Harris, 60, was catapulted to the top of the Democratic ticket in July -- giving her a chance to become the first woman to hold the world's most powerful job -- after President Joe Biden, 81, had a disastrous debate performance and three weeks later dropped his reelection bid under pressure from his party.
For all of that turmoil, the contours of the race have changed little. Polls show Harris and Trump running neck and neck nationally and in the battleground states. More than 77 million voters have already cast ballots, but the next two days will provide a critical test of whether Vice President Harris' or former President Trump's campaign does the better job of driving supporters to the polls.
Voters, Democrats and Republicans, have broken century-old records in the last two presidential elections, a sign of the passion that Trump stirs in both political parties.
In the final days of this campaign, both sides are flooding social media sites and TV and radio stations with a last round of ad campaigns, and racing to knock on doors and make calls.
Harris' campaign team is confident that the scale of its voter mobilization efforts is having a tangible impact, reporting that volunteers knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors in each battleground state over the weekend. "We are feeling very good about where we are right now," campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon told reporters.
The campaign's internal data suggests that undecided voters are leaning toward Harris, especially women in key battleground states, and they are seeing a rise in early voting among core supporters, including young people and voters of colour.
Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, has a smaller in-house canvassing operation and has largely delegated outreach efforts to super PACs and allied political groups, which can fundraise and spend without limits.
Their strategy focuses on "low propensity" voters—those who rarely vote—instead of targeting moderate voters who could sway either way. Many in this group lean toward Trump, but they aren’t typically consistent voters.
By carefully selecting their outreach targets, Trump’s team says it is deploying door-knockers where they can make the most impact and managing resources strategically.
Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump attends a campaign rally, in Salem, Virginia, US November 2, 2024.
FALSE FRAUD CLAIMS
Trump and his allies, who falsely claim that his 2020 defeat was the result of fraud, have spent months laying the groundwork to again challenge the result if he loses. He has promised "retribution," spoken of prosecuting his political rivals and described Democrats as the "enemy within".
On Sunday, Trump complained about gaps in the bullet-proof glass surrounding him as he spoke at a rally and mused that an assassin would have to shoot through the news media to get him, adding, "I don't mind that so much."
Democratic presidential nominee US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, US, November 3, 2024.
Harris has portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy but struck a hopeful tone at a Detroit church on Sunday.
“As I travel, I see Americans from so-called red states to so-called blue states who are ready to bend the arc of history toward justice," Harris said. "The beauty of living in a democracy—if we can hold onto it—is that each of us has the power to answer that call."
In a late-October Reuters/Ipsos poll, voters ranked threats to democracy as the nation’s second-biggest issue, just behind the economy.
On the other hand, Trump is banking on economic concerns—particularly the high cost of food and rent—to drive his supporters to the polls and return him to the White House.
“We’re going to cut your taxes, end inflation, lower prices, raise wages, and bring thousands of factories back to America,” Trump declared at a midday rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Trump's final day of campaigning on Monday includes stops in three of the seven battleground states crucial to the outcome. He will visit Raleigh, North Carolina; Reading and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, before heading back to Palm Beach, Florida, to vote and await the results.
Harris will spend Monday in Pennsylvania, a key battleground, beginning her day in Allentown—one of the state’s most competitive areas—before moving on to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
With its 19 Electoral College votes, Pennsylvania is the largest prize among the swing states, providing a significant step toward the 270 needed for a win.
Nonpartisan election analysts estimate Harris would need to secure about 45 electoral votes from the seven swing states to capture the presidency, while Trump would require around 51, based on forecasts of likely wins in other states.
Vice President Harris, 60, has made a remarkable ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket since President Joe Biden exited the race in July.
Harris is betting that abortion rights will be a decisive issue, particularly among women voters, while Trump has centred his campaign on immigration and the economy, branding his political opponents as the "enemy from within."
Both candidates are zigzagging through swing states, hosting boisterous rallies, appearing on podcasts to reach hesitant voters, and staging stunts—Trump arriving in a trash truck and Harris guest-starring on Saturday Night Live.
On Sunday, Trump drew cheers from supporters as he openly fantasized about journalists facing violence, repeated unfounded claims of election fraud, and graphically detailed crimes by undocumented immigrants. “Kamala—you’re fired, get out,” he declared to a raucous Georgia crowd.
Trump also suggested he "shouldn't have left" the White House after his 2020 loss to Biden, hinting at his attempt to overturn that election, which culminated in the January 6 assault on the Capitol. Many fear he may again refuse to accept the outcome if defeated, raising concerns about possible threats to election workers in the coming days.
In response, some election staff have been equipped with panic buttons to swiftly contact authorities in emergencies, and Nevada and Washington have activated the National Guard in preparation for potential unrest.
After recent polling gains, Harris struck a hopeful note at a Michigan rally on Sunday, saying, "We have momentum—it’s on our side." She also addressed Michigan's large Arab-American community, which has criticized U.S. policy on the Israel-Hamas war, vowing to “do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza.”
In the campaign’s final stretch, both candidates are drawing on high-profile surrogates. Trump ally Elon Musk has made $1 million in giveaways to registered voters, while Harris has enlisted former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and singer Beyoncé for support.
Absent from the trail, however, is outgoing President Biden, 81, after a gaffe last week where he referred to Trump supporters as "garbage." Biden plans to spend the last day of the campaign at the White House, while Harris will start her day with an event in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
