President Donald Trump and Joe Biden are running out of time to solidify their votes. Americans smashed 2016’s early voting numbers by the millions, and with less than 24 hours until the polls officially open, the heat is on.
Trump plans five campaign rallies in five different states on the final day of campaigning, focusing on the rust-belt swing states. Biden focuses on the Midwest also, campaigning in Pennsylvania and Ohio on the last campaign day.
Both Presidential candidates are making their final pitches to Americans in the critical battleground states. Over the weekend, Donald Trump’s campaign strategy has been called “barn rushing,” a plan to hit as many states with the highest number of supporters as possible.
Trump’s rallies target regional conservative pockets, creating an opportunity for a high turnout. Instead of having the privilege to enlarge the GOP’s umbrella to target minority voters, young voters, and women voters, the campaign has had to fall back and appeal to its loyal majority base: white men.
Furthermore, as President Trump confronts the possibility of losing, he peddles the narrative of voter fraud and a rigged election. Critics blame the President for sowing distrust in the electoral process, while the President assures his followers of misdeeds on behalf of Democrats.
Donald Trump blames the Democratic Party for civil unrest after protests and riots for systemic police violence against Black people. Trump uses the rioters to create fear among Republican supporters of a Democratic militant communist agenda.
Over the past few months, legal battles over voting rights have been underway. In the majority of cases, Republican officials have attempted to limit voting rights rather than expand them. Benjamin Ginsberg, a republican party veteran and 2013 co-chair of bipartisan Election Commission on Electoral Administration, expressed his concerns.
“Trump has devoted his campaign and the Republican party to this myth of voter fraud. Absent being able to articulate a cogent plan for a second term or find an attack against Joe Biden that will stick, disenfranchising enough voters has become key to his re-election strategy.” Ginsberg wrote.
The Trump administration has been involved in over 40 voting and ballot court cases around the US. In a recent example, Texas Republican officials lead a lawsuit to invalidate nearly 127,000 votes cast in a drive-through polling station. The drive-throughs were created as a coronavirus safety measure. The Texas Supreme court has so far blocked Republican challenges.
The court cases come when the Trump administration likely needs support from disenfranchised communities, rather than trying to preference their majority voter base. Accusations of fraud and misconduct on behalf of both Presidential candidates create misinformation and fear among some Americans.
And with everything coming to a head tomorrow, the sportsbooks are closing their lines on the Presidential election odds. Today is the last chance for bettors to wager on their pick for the Presidency. The line has been slowly but steadily shifting away from Biden’s favor, which means this may be the last opportunity for big payouts considering another 2016 underdog victory.
Take a look at the presidential odds provided by two of our favorite sportsbooks.
2020 US Presidential Election Winner – Bovada
Donald Trump +130
Joe Biden -170
US Presidential Election Winner – MyBookie
Joe Biden -180
Donald Trump +150
It’s close but based on the lines on battleground state electoral college races, Biden holds advantages in swing states that will decide the presidential election.
Sources:
the Guardian
CNN