Trump, Harris vie for the White House as Election Day arrives

Election Day 2024 is finally here. Hear former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris’ final pitches to supporters as millions of voters head to the polls. And we break down the key states and math that make up the all-important Electoral College. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

Trump, Harris vie for the White House as Election Day arrives

The campaigning is over, the final rallies have been held, and polling locations are opening across America. Election Day has arrived.

Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris ended an election season that saw the incumbent president being replaced on his party’s ticket by his vice president and two assassination attempts on the former president’s life. 

Already more than 82 million votes have been cast in early voting and millions of more Americans are heading to polls Tuesday, Nov. 5. And we already have the first results in. 

Once again, the small township of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire kicked off Election Day. Trump and Harris tied with three votes each. 

The first polls will close at 6 p.m. EST in parts of Indiana and Kentucky. 

The candidates focused the last day of campaigning on the battleground states, with former President Trump visiting North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan while Vice President Harris spent her entire day Monday, Nov. 4, in Pennsylvania. 

At each campaign stop the nominees sent their final messages to reach voters still undecided and encourage supporters to vote. 

Trump began his campaigning Monday in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he told supporters, “We will be a free and proud nation once again. Everyone will prosper. Every family will thrive, and every day will be filled with opportunity and hope and the American dream itself. But for that to happen, we must defeat Kamala and stop her radical left agenda with a landslide that is too big to rig.” 

Vice President Harris started her Election Day eve in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

“This whole era of this other guy, what’s it done with all this talk about pointing fingers at each other and dividing each other?” she said. “It makes people feel alone. It makes us feel like there’s nobody standing with them. And so, the way I’ve always been thinking about our campaign and these next 24 hours is as we are getting out the vote, as we are canvassing, let’s be intentional about building community, about building coalitions, about reminding people we all have so much more in common than what separates us.” 

Next, the former president made a stop in Reading, Pennsylvania. 

“We’re on the two-yard line, not the five yard line,” he said. “Two days ago we were at the five, now we’re at the two, but we have to turn out and vote tomorrow. We’re going to vote, vote, vote but we’re right there. Then we’re going to do something, a term you’ve never heard of, ‘make America great again,’ that’s what we’re going to do.” 

Harris then took her talking points to Allentown, saying, “America is ready for a fresh start. America is ready for a new way forward where we see our fellow Americans not as an enemy but as a neighbor. We are ready.” 

Both candidates then campaigned in Pittsburgh, holding competing rallies at the same time. 

“Only one day, oh does that sound nice? One day from now. We’ve been waiting for four years for this. Four years,” Trump said. “The only way we can blow it is if you blow it. I’ve given you the ball. I mean, you got to go and vote.”

During his rally, Trump invited onto the stage Roberto Clemente Jr., the son of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates player, who gave his endorsement to the former president. 

“The name Clemente, what it means is good will and unity,” Clemente Jr. said. “I believe that your team is going to bring it all home I believe in everything that you stand for right now being able to make the change for our families.” 

Vice President Harris told the crowd in Pittsburgh she has momentum on her side. 

“We have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division,” she said. “We are done with that. We’re done. We’re exhausted with it. And Pittsburgh, we are not going back. We are not going back.” 

Then the candidates held their closing rallies — Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan like he did in 2016 and 2020, and Harris in Philadelphia holding a celebrity-filled event including an appearance from former talk show host Oprah Winfrey. 

“If we don’t show up tomorrow, it is entirely possible that we will never have the opportunity to cast a ballot again,” Winfrey said. “And let me be very clear if you do not make sure that the people in your life can get to the polls that is a mistake, deciding not to decide that is most definitely a vote to let other people control your future.” 

“Our campaign has tapped into the ambitions and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people,” Harris said. “We are optimistic and we are excited about what we can do together, and we know it is time for a new generation of leadership in America. I am ready to offer that leadership as the next President of the United States of America. However, the race ain’t over yet and we must finish strong. This could be one of the closest races in history. Every single vote matters. So let me ask you, who has a plan to vote?” 

In Michigan, former President Trump told supporters, “This is unbelievable, it’s unbelievable. Think of it. This is it. This is the last one that we’re going to have to do.”

He added, “We stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history. With your help, we will restore America’s promise that we will take back the nation. We love this nation. We are one people, one family and one glorious nation under God. We will never give in, we will never give up, we will never back down, and we will never ever surrender. Together we will fight, fight, fight and we will win, win, win.” 

Former President Trump will spend Election Day in West Palm Beach, Florida while Vice President Harris will be in Washington, D.C.

Candidates have different roads to reach 270 electoral votes

Ray Bogan reports:

270. It’s the number of electoral votes the presidential candidates are aiming to reach.  There are multiple paths to victory for both candidates. 

The seven battleground states that could go either way are Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona. They make up a combined 93 electoral votes. 

Polling indicates the candidates are anywhere from less than 1% to about 2% points apart in each of those states.

That’s within the margin of error, meaning they could truly go either way.

But for purposes of this conversation, let’s have it play out exactly the way the FiveThirtyEight average of polls says it will. 

Under that scenario, Trump wins with 287 electoral votes by taking Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. Harris takes Michigan and Wisconsin. 

The polling average shows Trump is less than a point ahead of Harris in Pennsylvania. If that goes blue and everything else stays the same, Harris wins 270 to 268. That’s how close this is.

This is a nail-biter. 

If you like to place bets, it’s truly a tough call as to who to put your money on.

One thing we can safely say is, like the 11,000-vote difference in Michigan in 2016 and Georgia in 2020, the polls indicate some of these states will be decided by less than a percent, possibly even less than half of a percent.

So stay tuned.

Control of Senate, House on the line this Election Day

It’s not just the presidency that is on the line Tuesday as both political parties will be looking to take control of Congress. As it stands now, Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate, but each only has a slim majority — meaning it won’t take much to change that. 

In the Senate, Republicans are looking to flip two seats to win the majority. They would only need one should former President Trump win, as the vice president is the tie-breaker vote in the chamber. Some of the most-watched Senate races include the ones in Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. 

Over in the House, Democrats are hoping to turn four seats blue to take control. Nebraska’s 2nd district and New York’s 17th district are two House races that will be closely watched this Election Day.

Ballot measures to watch nationwide

Voters in 41 states will decide the fate of 146 ballot measures, from abortion rights and election laws to workers’ rights and drug legalization. 

Abortion is one of the top measures before voters, with nearly a dozen states set to decide the key issue. The most consequential are Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota — where abortions are currently either banned or severely restricted. Voters in those states will decide whether to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. 

Recreational marijuana is back on the ballot in three states: Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This will actually be the third time North Dakota and South Dakota will vote on marijuana legalization. 

And people in eight states will also vote on voting. Voters in Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin will decide ballot measures that would prohibit non-citizens from voting, which is already illegal at the federal level.

Joe Rogan endorses Trump after interview with Elon Musk

Less than 24 hours before polls opened, podcaster Joe Rogan officially endorsed former President Trump Monday. It came on the heels of Rogan’s interview with Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk — who’s been an outspoken Trump supporter. 

While promoting the interview in a post on Musk’s social media platform X, Rogan said Musk makes “the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear.” He added. “For the record, yes that’s an endorsement of Trump.”

During his interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, the most popular podcast in the country, Musk issued a warning to Americans. 

“This election is the last chance to preserve democracy in America. Mark my words,” he said. “Go out and vote. Vote like your life depends on it, vote like your future depends on it, because it does.” 

Musk added, “I’ll say it again, man: I think this is the last election. If Trump doesn’t win this is the last election.” 

Late last month, former President Trump joined Rogan on his podcast. According to estimates, Rogan’s podcast gets at least 11 million listeners per day.  

Trump and Rogan talked for three hours, covering everything from Trump’s plans for immigration to the economy to whether aliens exist. 

Trump’s running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance has also appeared on the podcast. Vice President Harris’ campaign said there had been talks for her to appear on the show, but they could not agree on terms. 

Also on Monday, a Pennsylvania judge ruled Musk’s $1 million per day giveaway in swing states can continue through Election Day. It was being challenged as an illegal lottery and an attempt to influence the election by the Philadelphia district attorney. 

The ruling came after Musk’s lawyers said the winners are “paid spokespeople” and not chosen by chance.

Boeing union members accept new contract ending strike

Boeing workers voted to accept the company’s latest contract offer Monday night, putting an end to the costliest strike in the U.S. in more than two decades. 

Members of the International Association of Machinists voted 59% in favor of the deal. They had voted almost unanimously against Boeing’s first offer, which started the strike on Sept. 13.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

33,000 frontline workers at Boeing, members of @IAM751 and W24, voted to ratify a new union contract with the company that has instantly set a new standard for compensation and wages for aerospace industry workers. https://t.co/UKrEGWZHHV

— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) November 5, 2024

Then less than two weeks ago, 64% said they were against the second offer, which extended the strike. 

Under the new deal, workers will get an immediate raise of 13%, then a 9% pay increase next year and in 2026, then another 7% in 2027, which is the final year of the contract. Altogether that’s a 43% raise total. 

Workers will also get a $12,000 bonus, part of which they can put toward their 401K. However, the new deal did not restore the company’s pension plan, which had been a major sticking point in the strike that has cost the jet maker more than one billion dollars in revenue 

The 33,000 union members will start returning to work on Wednesday, Nov. 6.