CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It is a battleground blitz across the Tarheel State as candidates crank up the campaigning in cities across the state.
Since early voting started, President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and Donald Trump Jr. have all made visits to North Carolina on the Republican side.
For the democratic ticket, Kamala Harris hosted a virtual event last Thursday aimed at North Carolina voters after canceling trips to Charlotte and Asheville due to two people on her campaign testing positive for COVID-19. Joe Biden also campaigned in the Tarheel State Sunday and Monday, with drive-in rallies in Durham and Raleigh.
On Tuesday, Ivanka Trump will make a stop in Raleigh, and President Trump will visit Gastonia on Wednesday.
Doug Emhoff, Harris’ husband, is expected to be in Wilmington and Greenville Tuesday. Sen. Harris announced travel plans to Asheville and Charlotte on Wednesday.
"We are a hyper-partisan, bitterly divided state that it just takes maybe 100,000, if not slightly more votes, to tip the election in one way or the other, so I'm not really surprised by those numbers in terms of the candidates visiting,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College.
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Bitzer said these visits may not persuade people to vote a certain way at this point, but the events can help to mobilize a candidate’s support system.
"Make sure to get your base supporters out to the polls, if not early, then on Election Day,” Bitzer added.
Already in North Carolina, 1,553,038 people have already cast their ballot out of 7,301,175 registered voters.
In 2008, the state turned blue with Barack Obama winning North Carolina. In 2012, Mitt Romney flipped the state back to red with his win. Then in 2016, Trump beat out Hillary Clinton for the Tarheel State.
"Both parties are wanting to have North Carolina in their win column, whether it's for the presidential, whether it's for U.S. Senate, even governor position,” Bitzer said.