Election 2024: Harris and Trump making closing arguments in busy weekend

There are three days left until Election Day. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are out making their final pitches to voters this closing weekend.

Trump was in the sunbelt, with stops in North Carolina and Virginia Saturday afternoon. He then headed back to North Carolina for a rally in the evening.

Meanwhile, Harris made stops in the South. The vice president had a rally in Atlanta this afternoon, followed by an event in Charlotte.

Live from New York, it's Kamala Harris

Harris took the stage Saturday evening: the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

After zigzagging between two key battleground states, Georgia and North Carolina, all day Saturday, Harris dropped in briefly at “Saturday Night Live” where she appeared in a fake mirror speaking with the iteration of herself portrayed by comedian Maya Rudolph. Rudolph’s Harris was looking for advice, and the real-life vice president gave her a pep talk.

“It is nice to see you, Kamala, and I'm just here to remind you, ‘You got this,’ because you can do something your opponent cannot do. You can open doors,” Harris told Rudolph, in a riff on a recent video that showed Trump struggling to open the door of a garbage truck.

The two riffed on Harris’ name before signing off with the signature phrase, “And live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

– Rebecca Morin

Kamala Harris to make surprise appearance on 'Saturday Night Live'

There may not have been an October surprise, but Harris may pull off a big one Saturday night with the election just three days away.

Harris is set to appear on "Saturday Night Live," on the final Saturday ahead of the Nov. 5 election, according to NBC.

Harris has been appealing to undecided voters as she and Republican Donald Trump are locked in a razor-thin race to the White House, with the two candidates in a dead heat in most of the seven swing states.

The episode will be available to watch live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. Viewers can also stream it the next day on Peacock.

– Rebecca Morin

Trump praises Virginia GOP's high-profile battle against noncitizen voting

Trump outlined his plan for mass deportations during a speech in Salem, Virginia, and said he would end the “migrant invasion.”

“The day I take the oath of office, the migrant invasion ends and the restoration of our country begins because the United States is now an occupied country,” Trump told the crowd.

His comments about illegal immigration came in a state where Republicans, led by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, waged a high-profile court battle to block voting by noncitizens. “Let’s win Virginia,” Younkin told the crowd when he was called to the stage.

A 1993 federal law prohibits removing voters from registration rolls within 90 days of an election. However, a 2006 Virginia law requires election officials to compare voter rolls to motor vehicle records where people mark whether or not they are citizens. Youngkin signed an executive order on Aug. 7 calling for the state to continue removing voters recorded as noncitizens through the election.

The Justice Department joined advocacy groups in fighting that order in federal court. Studies have found a negligible number of noncitizens voting in recent elections but the issue remains potent politically. Naturalized citizens were removed from Virginia’s voter rolls and the state’s 14-day notice was too short for some of them to protest.

A U.S. District Court overturned the policy and ordered the state to restore the registrations of more than 1,600 people who were removed in the final weeks of the campaign. But the Supreme Court blocked that order Wednesday and allowed the purge of voter rolls to continue.

“That’s a big victory,” Trump said. “Wow.”

– Bart Jansen

Trump campaigns in Virginia, where Democrats have won the presidential race for 20 years

Donald Trump campaigned in Virginia on the final weekend of the campaign despite the Old Dominion favoring Democrats for the last 20 years.

“This is a lot of people,” Trump said in Salem, Virginia. “We’re going to win Virginia. We’ve got to get out and vote.”

“We win Virginia, we win the whole thing without question,” Trump added. “Wouldn’t it be nice?”

Harris, his Democratic rival, leads by about six percentage points in polls heading into Election Day Tuesday. In contrast, polls in half a dozen swing states – Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia – show the race as a tossup.

Virginia last voted for a Republican president when George W. Bush won reelection in 2004. Since then, the state has supported Democrats Barack Obama – and Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden against Trump.– Bart Jansen

Trump highlights opposition to transgender athletes

Former President Donald Trump highlighted his opposition to transgender athletes by calling seven members of the Roanoke College women’s swim team to the stage in Salem, Virginia.A year ago the college agreed to allow a transgender swimmer to participate on the women’s team, but the student withdrew before joining.

“We will of course keep men out of women’s sports,” Trump said to cheers. “The brave members of the swim team stood up to the transgender fanatics, something new in our country.

Seven swim team members, in pink T-shirts, who opposed the decision took the stage with Trump.

Lily Mullens, a team captain, compared Trump’s position to Harris and President Joe Biden's support for transgender athletes.

“Point blank, it’s unfair,” Mullens said. “We are so lucky to have a leader like Donald Trump with common sense who knows what a strong woman is and will fight for generations of women to come.”– Bart Jansen

Air Force Two meets Trump Force One in North Carolina

As Harris climbed down the steps of Air Force Two, her opponent’s plane sat about 50 yards away.

Harris landed in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday where she plans to hold a rally Saturday evening. Trump held a rally in Gastonia, N.C., near Charlotte earlier Saturday. He is then headed to Salem, Virginia and back to the Tarheel State to close the day with an event in Greensboro.

Harris did not look back at Trump’s plane, according to a pool report.

– Rebecca Morin

Jill Biden campaigns in Macon, Georgia, for Harris

First lady Jill Biden campaigned in Georgia on Saturday for Harris recalling her tie-breaking vote for the American Rescue Plan in March 2021 that provided relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jill Biden recalled her last visit to Macon in October 2020, when former President Donald Trump was still in office.“We were in masks, we were seated six feet apart,” Biden said. “The pandemic was raging, schools were closed, and with Donald Trump creating chaos at every turn, that was four years ago.”

– Bart Jansen

Biden makes case for Harris in Pennsylvania

President Joe Biden returned to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, three days before Election Day, to participate in a get-out-the-vote event.He stopped by the Carpenters Local 445 meeting hall, a venue he’d stopped by on Election Day 2020, 10 blocks from where he was born in south Scranton. He also visited the site twice as a sitting president.

He urged union members to vote for Harris saying she’d be good for the unions.“A lot of people have trouble saying the word union. I am not one of them,” he said. “And Kamala, I wouldn’t have picked her as vice president if she had that trouble.”

Biden criticized the GOP for wanting to cut Affordable Care Act, the CHIPS Act, cut Social Security so as to help cut taxes for the wealthy: "These are the kinds of guys you like to smack in the ass,” he said.– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy

Harris makes final pitch to Georgia voters: ‘You will make the difference in this election’

In her final visit to Georgia ahead of Election Day, Harris told voters in Atlanta that she would win the presidency but she urged those who have not voted to cast their ballots for her in the razor-thin close election.

Reciting her typical stump speech, Harris told voters that bringing down the cost of living for Americans “will be my focus every single day,” citing her plan for a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.

Harris and former Trump are in a dead heat in the state, with the Republican presidential nominee at 48% and Harris at 47% among likely voters, according to a CNN poll published Thursday.

“Atlanta, we have three days to get this thing done, and no one can sit on the sidelines,” Harris said. “Let's spend the next three days knowing that when we look back on these three days, we will have no regrets about what we could have done.”

– Rebecca Morin

Trump focuses on a must-have state: North Carolina

Trump is spending Saturday in a must-have state (North Carolina) and a longshot state (Virginia).

The former president kicked off with a rally in Gastonia, N.C., near Charlotte; he plans to close tonight in Greensboro, N.C.

Exuding confidence about carrying the Tar Heel state, Trump told the crowd in Gastonia that "this will happen on Tuesday."

Polls show a very tight race in a state that Trump carried in both 2016 and 2020; a loss next week would likely sink the former president's chances in 2024.

In between Gastonia and Greensboro, Trump holds an afternoon rally in Salem, Va.

Polls show Harris to be the favorite in Virginia.

– David Jackson

Obama heading to Milwaukee to persuade undecided voters, Harris campaign says

Former President Barack Obama is heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sunday to help persuade undecided voters in the key swing state ahead of Tuesday’s election, the Harris campaign said.

Harris Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the campaign has been looking at states where early voting remains and is getting key surrogates to those states to remind people how to vote and make sure they know they can still vote. O’Malley Dillon added that surrogates, like Obama, are being used to persuade undecided voters that the campaign believes “over the course of the last week, have been breaking in our direction.”

“We still know there's some left, and we want to make sure we are the last people that voters are hearing from before they go vote,” she told reporters on a press call.

– Rebecca Morin

The 'Squad' Congresswoman Tlaib declines to endorse Harris

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. steered clear of endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris at a United Auto Workers union rally on Friday.

Tlaib is the only member of the progressive group the "Squad" that has not endorsed Harris, and as the only Palestinian American in Congress has been outspoken about her criticism of the Biden administration's support of Israel's retaliatory war on the militant group Hamas in Gaza.

She took to X Friday to call Republican presidential nominee, Trump, a "proud Islamophobe + serial liar who doesn't stand for peace."

She added: "The reality is that the Biden admin’s unconditional support for genocide is what got us here. This should be a wake-up call for those who continue to support genocide. This election didn't have to be close."

Michigan has the highest population of Arab Americans and the uncommitted protest vote garnered over 100,000 primary votes in February.

– Max Reinhart and Sam Woodward

Harris campaign praises Supreme Court decision to allow some provisional ballots in Pennsylvania

The Harris campaign on Saturday praised the Supreme Court’s decision to decline an emergency request from the Republican Party to block Pennsylvania from counting some provisional ballots cast by voters who failed to submit an absentee ballot correctly.

Dana Remus, outside counsel for the Harris campaign, said the decision confirms that every eligible voter has the right to vote and have their vote counted. “That decision, of course, makes sense. It's fair, and it demonstrates that our democracy is so much stronger than (Donald) Trump's shameful attacks,” Remus said, referencing former President Donald Trump’s efforts to sow doubt in the election results. “The Supreme Court didn't take the bait, and that is our system working.”

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the GOP’s request to intervene after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said voters should be able to cast provisional ballots if they failed to encase an absentee ballot in the required secrecy sleeve.

– Rebecca Morin and Maureen Groppe

LeBron James talks postgame about endorsing Harris

Basketball legend LeBron James told reporters after his game Friday night that his support for Democratic presidential nominee Harris is, in part, influenced by the women in his life.

"I have a daughter, I have a wife, and I have a mother," he told reporters. "What (Harris) believes in when it comes to women's rights" is "where I think our country should be."

He jokingly added: "C'mon, you guys know me, I'm damn sure not going the other way."

The 39-year-old endorsed Harris in a video on X this week that highlighted accusations of racism against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"What are we even talking about here??," the post read. "When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. VOTE KAMALA HARRIS!!!"

--Sam Woodward

What will the forecast be on Election Day?

Election Day is around the corner, and so are storms and showers that could make it a little harder to get to the polls in some parts of the country.

Forecasters say the majority of the country will have mild weather on Tuesday, Nov. 5, but some places will see thunderstorms, persistent rain or even snow. That includes a rainy forecast in the key swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan.

While serious weather can have an impact on voter turnout, forecasters say the outlook for Tuesday isn't severe enough to cause big issues. And in an election year with a tight presidential contest on the ballot, most voters won't be dissuaded, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

"People should be able to get out there without major weather disruptions," Pastelok told USA TODAY.

– Jeanine Santucci

Harris: Repealing Obamacare, CHIPS Act is ‘not popular’ 

Harris on Saturday criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for sayingTrump and  Republicans will try to repeal Obamacare and the CHIPS and Science Act if they win in Nov. 5.

“It is just further evidence of everything that I’ve actually been talking about for months now about Trump’s intention to implement Project 2025,” Harris told reporters in Milwaukee on Saturday. Johnson earlier this week told a crowd of supporters there will be "no Obamacare" if Trump wins and Republicans take control of Congress.  On Friday, Johnson said that he expects the GOP “probably will” repeal the CHIPS Act while campaigning for Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y. Williams said he does not support repealing the act, and will remind Johnson “night and day how important the CHIPS Act is.” Johnson later said that he supports reforming the legislation.

Harris said Johnson walked back his initial comment of repealing the legislation because “it’s not popular.”

"Let's be clear why he walked it back, because it's not popular,” Harris said. “And their agenda is not popular."

— Rebecca Morin

Harris to spend election night at alma mater, Howard University

Harris will watch the votes come in at her alma mater, Howard University, the campaign announced this week.

Harris, who graduated from the historically Black college in Washington D.C. in 1986, was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and has mobilized fellow alumnae to campaign for her since being added top of the ticket in July.

– Sam Woodward

Women outpacing men in early voting

Women have outpaced men in early-voting turnout by nearly 10 percentage points ? a trend the Harris campaign and Democrats see as reason for optimism.

But Trump's campaign insists it isn't concerned, arguing the gap is simply the result of male Democratic voters so far staying home.

Four days from Election Day, 53% of early voters nationally as of Friday have been women and 44% men, according to TargetSmart, a Democratic-aligned firm that tracks early voting data.

The margin is about the same as the 2020 election won by Biden when the gap at this same point in early voting also rounded to 53%-44%. But Democrats are bullish because women ? who polls show back Harris over Trump by a sizable margin ? have maintained the 9-point edge even though Republican voters have formed a larger share of the preliminary vote this year.

"The Democratic women, especially, appear to be just more fired up. Even though the Republicans' vote share is increasing, you're still seeing those gender gaps hold," said Tom Bonier, CEO of TargetSmart.

– Joey Garrison

Here's how the candidates are doing in swing states, polls

With just three days until Election Day, the race is still razor-thin in a number of key swing states that could determine the winner.

In Pennsylvania, an exclusive poll from USA TODAY/Suffolk University found that Harris and Trump are tied at 49%.

The two are also deadlocked in Michigan at 47% each, according to another exclusive poll from USA TODAY/Suffolk.

A poll by UMass Lowell/YouGov released this week shows Trump with a slim lead within the margin of error in North Carolina.

– Sam Woodward

A star-studded Saturday for Harris in North Carolina, Georgia

Harris has a packed Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina two key battleground states, where she will campaign at star-studded rallies.

In Atlanta, the vice president will be joined by director Spike Lee and singer Victoria Monét and performances from rappers 2 Chainz, Big Tigger, Monica, and Pastor Troy.

In Charlotte, actress and campaign surrogate Kerry Washington will give remarks and artists Jon Bon Jovi, Khalid, Brittney Spencer, and The War and Treaty will perform.

– Sam Woodward

Walz to canvass with actress Eva Longoria Saturday

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz will campaign with actress Eva Longoria Saturday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada, a key swing state to win next week to secure a victory.

Longoria, a Democratic political player, has been present on and off the campaign trail for the Harris-Walz ticket and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

– Sam Woodward

6 types of misinformation circulating ahead of Election Day

With Election Day bearing down, guarding against misinformation is more vital than ever.

In the coming days and weeks, election officials across the country will tally millions of ballots and declare the winners and losers. That means your social media feed likely will be filled with baseless claims of fraud – many of which we've seen before. Some common narratives:

• The election was stolen due to voter fraud

• Noncitizens are voting in large numbers

• Votes were added/subtracted due to the "hacking" of machines

• Changing vote totals prove cheating occurred

• Partisan election officials skew vote tallies

• There were more votes than registered voters

USA TODAY has debunked dozens of such claims in recent election cycles. Here's a rundown of what these narratives miss, so you're prepared when they crop up again. Read more here.

Pennsylvania court orders Erie County to offer new absentee ballots

A Pennsylvania court ordered the Erie County Board of Elections on Friday to offer new absentee ballots to nearly 20,000 voters who didn’t receive them and stay open for longer office hours until Election Day to receive them.

Court of Common Pleas Judge David Ridge ordered the remedy after holding a hearing Thursday about problems the election office and its vendor, ElectionIQ, had in delivering ballots through the U.S. Postal Service.

The number of missing ballots in just one county of the key battleground state is potentially significant. Former President Donald Trump won the state by about 40,000 votes in 2016 and President Joe Biden won it by about 80,000 votes in 2020.

--Bart Jansen

Where is Harris today?

Harris will be in Atlanta Saturday afternoon for a Get Out the Vote campaign rally. She travels next to Charlotte for a similar event in the evening.

? Savannah Kuchar

Where is Trump today?

Trump will make a stop in Gastonia, N.C., for a rally at noon. The former president heads then to Salem, Virginia, a couple hours north of the Tar Heel State border.

For Saturday evening, Trump is back in North Carolina, this time at a rally in Greensboro.

? Savannah Kuchar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election 2024: Campaigns make frantic final push