Harris, Trump focus on Sunbelt states in poll race

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump zeroed in on the Sun Belt on Saturday as they embarked on one last weekend quest to sway every undecided voter in the battleground states.

They pitched rival agendas on the economy — and more — that each insisted is what US citizens want in the upcoming election that falls on Tuesday, which is predicted by US media to be the "most divisive" in history.

The rivals literally crossed paths on Saturday, with Harris' official vice-presidential Air Force Two and Trump's personal jet sharing the airport tarmac in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Both held rallies in North Carolina, while Harris also spoke to supporters in Georgia, another of the seven swing states seen as the keys to victory in an otherwise dead-even nationwide contest. Trump added in a stop in Virginia.

"We have overcome every attack, every abuse and even two assassination attempts," Trump said at a rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, outside Charlotte.

Later, Trump headed to Virginia, which isn't considered a battleground state, but offered a similar message, telling supporters that there is no way he can lose and is on the cusp of "the greatest political victory in the history of our country".

Harris, meanwhile, has been urging her supporters to vote early so she can be elected and provide the "new generation of leadership "that she argues she represents.

"I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States of America," she said during remarks in a rally at the Atlanta Civic Center parking lot.

In a bid to reach out beyond her traditional support bases, Harris wrapped a day on the campaign trail Saturday with a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live TV show.

Seventy-five million people have cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reported. As of Saturday evening, neither candidate had a margin greater than 3 points in any of the seven battleground states set to determine the presidency, according to the polling averages maintained by RealClearPolitics.

The winner might not be known for several days, as states like Pennsylvania will need time to tally their mail votes.

Harris was due to campaign on Sunday in East Lansing, Michigan, a college town in an industrial state that is viewed as a must-win for the Democrat.

Trump was to hold rallies in three smaller cities that could help him galvanize the rural voters who make up an important part of his base. He starts the day in Lititz, Pennsylvania, before heading to Kinston, North Carolina, in the afternoon and ending with an evening rally in Macon, Georgia.

The candidates' schedules will run right into Monday, culminating with late-night rallies — in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for Trump and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Harris.

Source of stress

An annual survey by the American Psychological Association revealed in October that the election has become a significant source of stress for US citizens, who fear that the election results could trigger political violence and even lead to the "end of American democracy".

In the past three months, Trump has survived several assassination attempts. Harris' campaign office in Arizona was also shot at and vandalized. Political violence is on the rise as polarization and public opinion divisions intensify ahead of the election.

Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that attacks on candidates are nearly inevitable in today's highly tense political and public opinion climate.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that nearly three quarters of potential voters are worried about the political violence that might follow the election results. Tim Malloy, the university's poll analyst, noted that many voters fear the escalation of political rhetoric could ignite such violence.

Agencies - Xinhua