Trump, Harris hit swing states; latest polls

With just 15 days until Election Day, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are hitting the battleground states that could determine the race for the White House.

Trump on Monday is hosting a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, located in the eastern part of the Tar Heel state. He’ll also meet with faith leaders near Charlotte and tour damage from Hurricane Helene in the Asheville area.

Harris is making a 3-state swing with former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Monday with stops in key suburban counties in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Republican and Democratic nominees will lay out their plans on the economy, the southern border and other top issues facing the nation as they court voters in these pivotal states, which could be make-or-break in November.

Keep up with the USA TODAY Network’s live election coverage.

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CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ rejects accusation Harris interview was deceptively edited

CBS’ “60 Minutes,” which recently held its traditional pre-election interview with Kamala Harris, rejected accusations from Donald Trump and his allies that it deceptively edited a clip of the conversation.

Trump’s campaign has alleged that CBS edited different responses for different shows on the network, including “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation.”

However, the longtime news program said in a statement this week that: “60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to Face the Nation that used a longer section of her answer than that on 60 Minutes. Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response,” the network explained in a statement.

“When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point. The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide ranging 21-minute-long segment,” they added.

Trump declined to participate in an interview with “60 Minutes” ahead of Election Day.

− Sudiksha Kochi

Harris and Trump tied in USA TODAY poll amid battle for Black and Latino voters

An exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that among 1,000 likely voters, Harris has earned 45% of support, while Trump has earned 44%, a closer race than the poll found in August. Then, in the wake of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Harris led the former president by five percentage points, 48% to 43%.

Harris has also lost ground among Latino voters, who now support Trump by 49% to 38%, and among Black voters. They favor Harris by 72% to 17%, a 55-point advantage that is well below where Democrats traditionally fare.

Trump has made a concerted bid for the votes of Hispanic and Black voters, especially men, focusing on issues of the economy and crime. His success at eroding the Democrats’ typical advantage has raised alarm in Harris’ camp and a rebuke on the stump from former President Barack Obama of Black men, who he said might be reluctant to vote for a woman.

− Sudiksha Kochi, Susan Page and Maya Marchell Hoff

When will the election results be announced?

It is not clear exactly when the election results will be announced, as the timing depends on a variety of factors. Each state handles its elections differently, ranging from weeks-long early voting to strict voter ID laws.

But you can anticipate delays.

Some key swing states that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are vying for, like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, aren’t permitted to start processing absentee and mail-in ballots until Election Day, which is expected to slow down the count.

— Sudiksha Kochi and Sam Woodward

When can you vote for the president?

There are several ways you can vote in the general election. Depending on where you live, you can vote early either by mail or in person. You can also wait to go to a polling location on Nov. 5, which is Election Day, to cast your ballot.

USA TODAY has a breakdown of when early voting has started or will begin in the states. The first state in the country to begin voting was Alabama, which sent around absentee ballots on Sept. 11. Alabama does not have an option for in-person early voting.

Seven states are expected to open up options for in-person early voting or in-person absentee early voting on Monday, including Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, South Carolina and Texas.

— Sudiksha Kochi and Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Elon Musk’s $1 million reward plan raises questions about election interference

Elon Musk’s pledge to give away $1 million to a person who signed his online petition every day until Election Day is raising some concerns from some election law experts, who say it may be election interference.

Musk, the world’s richest person, announced the lottery at a Donald Trump rally on Saturday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as he handed out the first $1 million check to an attendee named John Dreher.

“The only thing that we ask for the million dollars is that you be a spokesperson for the petition,” Musk said as Dreher held up a cardboard cutout of the million-dollar check.

Giving out a reward to people for casting a vote or registering to vote is a federal crime that could incur prison time, legal experts say.

“Making a million dollar prize contingent on registering to vote is illegal,” Rick Hasen, an election law expert and the director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, wrote in a widely-viewed post to X on Saturday. “Also, with PA registration soon closing for this election it may not accomplish what Musk wants.”

In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called the giveaways “deeply concerning.”

“When you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions,” he said.

“It’s something that law enforcement could take a look at,” he added.

— Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Is Election Day a federal holiday?

Election Day, Nov. 5, is not a federal holiday.

But some states observe it as a holiday, closing state offices on the date, including New York, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, and at least eight others.

The District of Columbia and 24 states offer workers paid time off to cast their ballot. Some other states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Wisconsin, offer time off to vote, but without pay guaranteed.

— Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Where do Harris and Trump stand in the polls?

As the 2024 presidential race heads into the homestretch, the latest Real Clear Politics polling average shows a tight contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. As of Sunday afternoon, Harris leads Trump by 0.9 percentage points in the national polling average.

In key battleground states, Trump holds narrow leads. He’s up by 0.7 percentage points in averages of Pennsylvania polls, 1.2 in Michigan averages and 0.2 in Wisconsin. These swing states are expected to play a pivotal role in determining the outcome next month

– Jeremy Yurow

Where is Harris campaigning?

Kamala Harris will be in Wisconsin Monday, campaigning alongside former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo, one of Donald Trump’s most vocal critics.

The pair plans to appear together in a series of three “moderated conversations” in suburban swing state communities, according to the Harris campaign.

Beginning in Chester County, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia, Harris and Cheney will then make stops in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, west of Milwaukee, and Oakland County, Michigan, northwest of Detroit.

Cheney joined Harris on the campaign trail this month, after endorsing the vice president in September.

– Savannah Kuchar

Where is Trump campaigning?

Trump kicks off a southern swing early this week, beginning with appearances across North Carolina on Monday.

The former president plans to visit Asheville and give remarks from the Appalachian city hard hit by Hurricane Helene.

Also in the Tar Heel State, Trump will hold a rally in Greenville Monday afternoon and an event in Concord with faith leaders, his son Eric Trump and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.