close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

    • USA TODAY’s journey on the campaign trail
    asane

    USA TODAY’s journey on the campaign trail

    Online Niel Posted on

    play

    Election day is near. But in the months and days leading up to the final votes and tallying of the results, USA TODAY reporters fanned out across the country — road trips in key counties as Erie in Pennsylvania and shadow electoral workers in Georgia and North Carolina.

    I visited 6 communities named Hopefrom Hope, Maine to Hope, Alaska, to see if voters felt any sense of optimization amid an intensely polarized election cycle. And as the red states got redder and the blue states bluer, I analyzed why that’s what’s happening and what voters on the ground feel in those key states.

    Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump i am statistically related in the national polls for the presidential election – and they are in a heat in almost every swing state. But USA TODAY went beyond the numbers, focusing on Americans’ priorities in an increasingly intense election.

    Here’s what I found.

    play

    We talked to voters in key states that could decide the election

    USA TODAY Network reporters talk to voters in seven key states that could decide the 2024 presidential election.

    7 Counties in 7 Days: A Road Trip to the Battlegrounds

    The road to the White House passes through seven keys cradle states: Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona.

    In those states, the USA TODAY Network team traveled to seven counties whose voters will play a key role in determining whether Trump or Harris wins their state — and ultimately the presidency.

    In Washoe County, Nevadavoters across the political spectrum emphasized what gets them to the polls — from the economy to crime to border security to health care and the preservation of America’s democratic institutions. Erie County, Pennsylvaniathe ultimate bellwether, saw renewed enthusiasm after Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket.

    Hope in America: Yes, hope is still alive and well in this nation

    Hope. Maine town. Or the one in Alaska. Bill Clinton sure put Arkansas’ Hope on the map. May be, it is the hope, the feeling.

    USA TODAY sent reporters to six of the 19 US cities named Hope. The residents of Hope, Alaska, a town 15 miles from Anchorage, try to stay out of national politics. In Hope, New Mexico, which has a population of 105, resilience keeps the city alive.

    But another thing the reporters found on their journey to hope: a feeling of alarm.

    The Dangerous Job of Counting: What It Feels Like for Front-Line Workers in the Swing State

    Counting votes was once a monotonous job. Now, it became dangerous.

    After losing the 2020 election, Trump spread false rumors that there was fraud in the election. This message has been amplified by conspiracy theorists who have peddled claims that the use of machines to count ballots allows the results to be manipulated. Election workers were intimidated and threatened.

    play

    Meet the people working to secure the 2024 election

    These citizens share why they have a vested interest in electoral activity, even as the country becomes more polarized.

    In Atlanta, Georgia, it’s a woman’s job to help voters who may have problems or questions about voting. An electoral coordinator in one suburb of Detroit he no longer talks about his job.

    And here’s how officials are preparing for protests and possible violence before election day.

    Do you have election questions? REGISTER for USA TODAY’s politics newsletter for breaking news and exclusive analysis.

    Online Niel
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like