Trump and Harris hit swing states; Latest polls

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

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

Harris joins former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Monday for a three-state swing with stops in key suburban districts in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Republican and Democratic candidates will lay out their plans on the economy, the southern border and other important issues facing the country as they woo voters in these key states that could be decisive in November.

Stay informed with USA TODAY Network’s live election coverage.

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

Elon Musk’s promise to donate $1 million to a person who signed his online petition every day leading up to Election Day is sparking concerns among some election law experts who say it could potentially be election interference.

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

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

Giving rewards to people for voting or registering to vote is a federal crime punishable by prison time, legal experts say.

“It is illegal to make a million-dollar prize dependent on registering to vote,” wrote Rick Hasen, election law expert and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, in a widely read post to X on Saturday. “Because the PA registration for this election ends soon, it may not achieve what Musk wants.”

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

“When you start pouring so much money into politics, I think it raises serious questions,” he said.

“This is something law enforcement could look at,” he added.

— Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Is Election Day a federal holiday?

Election Day, November 5th, is not a federal holiday.

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

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

— Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Where are Harris and Trump in the polls?

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

Trump has a narrow lead in key battleground states. It is 0.7 percentage points higher than the Pennsylvania average, 1.2 percentage points to the Michigan average, and 0.2 percentage points to the Wisconsin average. These swing states are expected to play a crucial role in determining the outcome next month

– Jeremy Yurov

Where is Harris campaigning?

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

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

Beginning in Chester County, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia, Harris and Cheney then stop 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 is launching a southern drive early this week, starting with appearances across North Carolina on Monday.

The former president plans to visit Asheville and deliver a speech from the Appalachian town hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

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