2024 election updates: Trump and Harris enter the final stretch of the 2024 campaign
Last updated: Monday, October 28, 2024 8:27PM GMT
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As we head into the final full week of campaigning before Election Day, the latest ABC News/Ipsos poll shows Kamala Harris with a slight 51-47% lead over Donald Trump among likely voters nationally -- but the polls in the battleground states remain essentially deadlocked within the margin of error.
Fallout continues over racist comments made at Trump's big rally on Sunday at Madison Square Garden and Harris is preparing for her "closing argument" Tuesday night on the Ellipse near the Capitol and White House in Washington.
Almost 42 million Americans have cast a vote through early voting methods, as of Sunday afternoon, according to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab.
The about 41.9 million recorded mail and early in-person votes were evenly split with about 21 million mail ballots returned nationally and about the same cast at in-person early voting polling sites across the country, the data showed.
Early voting options are now open to voters in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Many early voting periods will last until the weekend before Election Day.
4:45 PM GMT
Biden stands in line at polling place to cast his ballot
President Joe Biden is at a polling place in New Castle, Delaware, to vote early in the 2024 election.
According to reporters traveling with the president, there was a line of more than 100 people when he arrived. Biden walked toward the back of the line and was seen greeting and speaking with voters.
4:35 PM GMT
Harris slams Trump's MSG rally and Puerto Rico comments
Harris criticized Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden, saying the former president is "fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country."
"It is absolutely something that is intended to and is fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country. And as I've said many times, I'll say tomorrow night in my speech, there's a big difference between he and I," Harris told reporters as she departed Joint Base Andrews for a day of campaigning in Michigan.
Asked to respond to the comments about Puerto Rico at the rally, which the Trump campaign has tried to distance itself from, Harris pointed to her support for Puerto Rico as a senator and her "opportunity economy" proposal.
"I'm very proud to have the support of folks like Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez and others who were supporting me before that nonsense last night at Madison Square Garden, and are supporting me because they understand that they want a president of the United States that's about uplifting the people and not berating, not calling America a garbage can, which is what Donald Trump, those are the words he has used."
3:41 PM GMT
Burned ballot boxes reported in Oregon and Washington
Police are investigating arson at a ballot box in Portland, Oregon, where officers responded to reports of a fire overnight.
Security personnel extinguished the ballot box fire, located outside the Multnomah County elections office, and a Portland explosives unit removed the incendiary device from the box.
ABC affiliate KATU reported Monday another ballot box incident in Washington state, where police were responding to smoke coming out of a ballot box in Vancouver. The Clark County auditor told KATU that hundreds of ballots were inside the box at the time.
2:52 PM GMT
Philadelphia DA sues Elon Musk over controversial $1 million voter giveaway
The lawsuit from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner claims Musk and his America PAC are "running an illegal lottery in Philadelphia (as well as throughout Pennsylvania)."
Musk announced the eighth winner of his super PAC's $1 million prize in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Saturday and doubled down on his promise to continue offering the money to a registered swing state voter who has signed his petition. He said participants are not required to vote, but the online petition form says one has to be a registered voter to be eligible.