According to tracking data from the Election Laboratory at the University of Florida, as of Wednesday (October 23), the number of voters choosing to vote early has steadily increased, with nearly 25 million people having voted early. At the same time, key battleground states such as North Carolina and Georgia have set records on the first day of early voting.
During a campaign event in Zebulon, Georgia, Trump stated, “The number of votes in Georgia has set a record, in fact, the voting turnout in every state has reached a new high. We are performing very well, and we hope to rebuild our country.”
Following the event, Trump energized the crowd at a rally in Duluth, Georgia, alongside former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encouraging supporters to vote early.
Reports from election officials in Georgia show that early voting has been active this year, with over 251,000 people casting their votes on the first day (October 16), surpassing the record set on the first day of early voting in 2020 when 133,000 people voted.
According to data from polling agencies FiveThirtyEight and ABC News, both Trump and Harris are neck and neck in seven key states, with Trump leading in four swing states and Harris leading in three. However, the margins are all within 2 percentage points.
The latest national poll released by The Wall Street Journal on the 23rd shows Trump leading Harris by 47% to 45%.
The survey indicates that due to her own performance and an abundance of negative advertising during the campaign, Harris’s positive image, which she had when she replaced Biden, has weakened. Since the end of August, Harris’s negative ratings have risen, with 45% of respondents having a positive view of her and 53% having a negative view. In August, these numbers were both at 49%.
In contrast, voters’ perceptions of Trump have improved. Currently, 48% of voters have a positive view of Trump, while 50% have a negative view. Compared to August, when it was 45% positive and 53% negative, his approval rating is on the rise.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Harris leading nationally with 46% support, slightly ahead of Trump’s 43%.
Analysts point out that as swing states begin voting, the competition between the two parties will escalate further, with strategists focusing on how to win over crucial undecided voters. With less than two weeks remaining until the election on November 5, many voters still feel dissatisfied or uncertain with the current options and are eager to find new candidates or policies to better meet their needs and expectations.
On Wednesday, Harris reiterated on the City Hall program on CNN in Pennsylvania that her government will be different from the current one, emphasizing, “My government will not be a continuation of the Biden administration.”
During the Q&A session, Harris promised to address the issue of high food prices in the United States and stated that it is time to end the wars in the Middle East. She also referred to Trump as a “threat to America’s welfare and security.”
According to Reuters, Harris once again denied claims that she is merely relying on Biden’s views, coinciding with multiple polls indicating that Biden could have a negative impact on her candidacy.