The incumbent US president, Donald Trump, and his Democratic rival Joe Biden rallied supporters on Thursday in the closely fought state of Florida. Their respective addresses at the rallies highlighted their contrasting approaches to the resurgent coronavirus pandemic.

With its 29 electoral votes, the state is a major prize in Tuesday's election. Trump's victory in Florida in 2016 was vital to his surprise election win.

Opinion polls show Biden with a significant edge nationally, but with a tighter lead in the battleground states that play a decisive role in the final result.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed Trump had moved into a tie with Biden in Florida, with 49% saying they would vote for Biden and 47% for the president.

Thousands of people, many of them without masks, crowded together at an outdoor event in Tampa on Thursday to hear Trump.

"Could you imagine losing to this guy? Could you imagine?" Trump said, adding he was confident of winning a second term.

Biden held "drive-in" rally in the same city -- where attendees remained in or near their cars to avoid the possible spread of the coronavirus. Supporters at the event wore masks, as required by Biden's campaign, although they did not always maintain social distancing.

Biden criticised Trump for holding what he termed a "super-spreader event" and attacked the president's repeated assertion that the country had moved past the worst days of the pandemic, despite rising cases nationwide.

"Donald Trump has waved the white flag, abandoned our families and surrendered to this virus," Biden said. "But the American people never give up; we never give in."

The pandemic that has upended life across the United States, killed more than 227,000 people and caused millions of job losses, is roaring back.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the threat of the pandemic, saying this week his opponents and the news media would stop paying attention to it right after the election, even as leaders in Europe scramble to contain a second wave and public health experts predict a grim winter in the United States.

Officials in Gastonia, North Carolina, warned people who attended an Oct. 21 Trump rally there that two people who took part tested positive for COVID-19.

Following his own bout with COVID-19, the president has had a hectic campaign schedule, holding as many as three rallies a day in different states, while Biden has taken a more measured tack, spending two days this week close to his home base of Delaware.

In all, he plans to visit 10 states in the last days of the campaign and will host 11 rallies in the final 48 hours, a campaign official said.

Biden's own Tampa speech was cut short by a sudden downpour. He is expected to travel to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa on Friday.

Meanwhile, more than 80 million Americans have already cast ballots in the presidential election. That surge includes more than 51 million ballots cast by mail, a long-standing practice of American elections that is surging in popularity because of the pandemic. State officials and experts have warned that it may take days or even weeks to tally them as some states have rules that forbid counting early votes before Election Day.

(with inputs)

The incumbent US president, Donald Trump, and his Democratic rival Joe Biden rallied supporters on Thursday in the closely fought state of Florida. Their respective addresses at the rallies highlighted their contrasting approaches to the resurgent coronavirus pandemic.

The incumbent US president, Donald Trump, and his Democratic rival Joe Biden rallied supporters on Thursday in the closely fought state of Florida. Their respective addresses at the rallies highlighted their contrasting approaches to the resurgent coronavirus pandemic. With its 29 electoral votes, the state is a major prize in Tuesday's election. Trump's victory in Florida in 2016 was vital to his surprise election win. Opinion polls show Biden with a significant edge nationally, but with a tighter lead in the battleground states that play a decisive role in the final result. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed Trump had moved into a tie with Biden in Florida, with 49% saying they would vote for Biden and 47% for the president. Thousands of people, many of them without masks, crowded together at an outdoor event in Tampa on Thursday to hear Trump. "Could you imagine losing to this guy? Could you imagine?" Trump said, adding he was confident of winning a second term. Biden held "drive-in" rally in the same city -- where attendees remained in or near their cars to avoid the possible spread of the coronavirus. Supporters at the event wore masks, as required by Biden's campaign, although they did not always maintain social distancing. Biden criticised Trump for holding what he termed a "super-spreader event" and attacked the president's repeated assertion that the country had moved past the worst days of the pandemic, despite rising cases nationwide. "Donald Trump has waved the white flag, abandoned our families and surrendered to this virus," Biden said. "But the American people never give up; we never give in." The pandemic that has upended life across the United States, killed more than 227,000 people and caused millions of job losses, is roaring back. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the threat of the pandemic, saying this week his opponents and the news media would stop paying attention to it right after the election, even as leaders in Europe scramble to contain a second wave and public health experts predict a grim winter in the United States. Officials in Gastonia, North Carolina, warned people who attended an Oct. 21 Trump rally there that two people who took part tested positive for COVID-19. Following his own bout with COVID-19, the president has had a hectic campaign schedule, holding as many as three rallies a day in different states, while Biden has taken a more measured tack, spending two days this week close to his home base of Delaware. In all, he plans to visit 10 states in the last days of the campaign and will host 11 rallies in the final 48 hours, a campaign official said. Biden's own Tampa speech was cut short by a sudden downpour. He is expected to travel to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa on Friday. Meanwhile, more than 80 million Americans have already cast ballots in the presidential election. That surge includes more than 51 million ballots cast by mail, a long-standing practice of American elections that is surging in popularity because of the pandemic. State officials and experts have warned that it may take days or even weeks to tally them as some states have rules that forbid counting early votes before Election Day. (with inputs)

Trump and Biden are a stark contrast in battleground Florida

President Donald Trump and Joe Biden are holding dueling rallies on Thursday in the key battleground state of Florida

US Election 2020: Donald Trump, Joe Biden hold dueling Florida rallies

McALLEN, Texas — The leadership of the Department of Homeland Security gathered Thursday under the shadow of 30-foot, black-painted, steel bollards to promote the near completion of 400 miles of President Donald Trump’s border wall.

The politics of the moment, five days before the election, was lost on no one.

“The only reason we haven’t reached another crisis is because of the policies and procedures this administration put into place over the last several years, including the construction of an effective border wall system,” Chad Wolf, the acting homeland security secretary, told reporters, photographers and cameramen. “Abolishing these measures or reversing course is absolutely no way forward.”

Immigration has not been a central theme of the race between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, but the future of some of the president’s hard-line policies at the border will be determined by the results.

The Homeland Security Department has been racing to deliver on Trump’s promise of 450 miles of border wall before the end of the year. The agency is still about a week away from the 400-mile marker, according to Customs and Border Protection officials, and nearly all of the construction has been in areas where dilapidated fencing or vehicle barriers already stood.

But the steel structure on the border, built without congressional approval, is something of a monument to the president’s determination. It has affected the environment, private property owners and, Homeland Security officials say, the job of border agents.

Department leaders in recent days have traversed the nation, including in battleground states, to emphasize routine arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticize Democrats and blast so-called sanctuary city policies. The agency has also erected billboards in Pennsylvania to warn of the dangers posed by immigrants without legal status.

All of that has amplified criticism that the department has become an arm of the Trump campaign.

“There are partisan politics behind it, not operational reasons,” said David Lapan, a former spokesman for the Homeland Security and Defense departments under Trump. “Over the time of the Trump administration, DHS has been seen as more and more politicized.”

The nonprofit government watchdog American Oversight requested that the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general investigate whether the senior leadership had violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities on the job.

Standing in front of a line of Border Patrol agents, Wolf dismissed the criticism and defended policies that have effectively halted migration across the southwest border, leaving families in squalid tent camps in some of the most dangerous areas in Mexico.

The Homeland Security officials also attacked the policy proposals of Biden, who has pledged to halt wall construction and end the Remain in Mexico program that has forced tens of thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for court hearings on asylum claims.

Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Biden’s policies would prompt a migrant “invasion,” although he acknowledged in a separate interview that most migrants who crossed the border last year were not criminals but rather Central American families fleeing poverty.

Asked in an interview whether his language could incite violence, Morgan responded defensively.

“That’s what people immediately want to go to, is that we’re being xenophobic, we’re racist, right?” he said, adding: “I have no problem saying that the overwhelming majority of those trying to illegally enter the United States are not bad people, right? But some are. So my question is, how many?”

Most illegal crossings into the United States in recent years have been in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, but only 7 miles of the wall have been constructed in the area.

Private landowners in South Texas say the wall will cut through their properties; they have forced the Trump administration to go through the arduous process of asserting eminent domain in court. To make good on Trump’s promised 450 miles, the administration has concentrated construction in areas owned by the federal government, over terrain that already impedes border crossers.

Chief Rodney Scott of Border Patrol conceded that the Rio Grande Valley “was higher priority for the U.S. Border Patrol.” But, he added, “we elected to go ahead and shift down to a lower priority because I could make a difference there and then.”

That approach has damaged ecosystems and disrupted the migration of endangered wildlife, said Laiken Jordahl, a borderlands campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity.

“This 400-mile celebration is not insignificant,” he said. “This is something communities and Indigenous nations across the borderlands are mourning. This marks 400 miles of destruction.”

The Trump administration has secured about $15 billion to build 731 miles of border wall, with much of the money transferred from the Defense Department and funds that had been appropriated by Congress for military construction projects and narcotics interdiction.

With the president’s deadline nearing, the government has stepped up litigation against landowners in South Texas. It has filed 106 lawsuits against landowners this year to survey, seize and potentially begin construction, an increase from 27 lawsuits filed in 2019, said Ricky Garza, a staff lawyer for the Texas Civil Rights Project. The federal government filed 22 cases in September alone.

“This is an attack on our culture, our heritage, our very identity, and that is why we are fighting,” said Melissa Cigarroa, a landowner who said the government had threatened to sue her for access to her property in Zapata County, Texas. “We feel it viscerally.”

Homeland Security officials say the border wall is critical. It has allowed the agency to funnel migration into specific areas, where they can strategically place Border Patrol agents to apprehend migrants. They say it has freed those agents to make more arrests rather than respond to families seeking protection.

This month, the agency is expected to record the highest monthly total of illegal crossings for the year, Wolf said. But the blockade on asylum came not from a wall of steel but a web of policy changes, especially the Remain in Mexico policy, which has forced more than 60,000 migrants back to Mexico to await court dates to have their asylum claims assessed.

The department has also used a public health emergency declaration to rapidly return migrants, including unaccompanied children, to Mexico or their home countries without providing chances to have their asylum claims heard.

While the department has said the rule has prevented the spread of disease in the United States, immigration lawyers say it conflicts with immigration laws that say migrants must have a chance to have their fear of persecution in their home countries heard when they step on U.S. soil.

Morgan again pushed back.

“There are times when someone’s want and need to claim asylum is superseded by something of far greater value,” he said, “and that’s lives of American citizens.”

He added that migrants were still provided the opportunity to have fear of torture assessed by an immigration officer, although that screening carries a much higher bar than screenings for persecution.

Morgan said the Mexican government had not verified reports of widespread violence against migrants in Mexico. But immigration advocacy organizations have recorded hundreds of attacks against those forced by the United States to return to Mexico, with some disseminating recordings of extortion attempts by cartels.

Morgan blamed the migrants.

“They’re intentionally leaving the sheltered environment, re-engaging the smuggling organizations, even when they’ve been told not to, to try to get illegally in the United States,” he said. “That’s when they’re exposing themselves.”

McALLEN, Texas — The leadership of the Department of Homeland Security gathered Thursday under the shadow of 30-foot, black-painted, steel bollards to promote the near completion of 400 miles of President Donald Trump’s border wall.

McALLEN, Texas — The leadership of the Department of Homeland Security gathered Thursday under the shadow of 30-foot, black-painted, steel bollards to promote the near completion of 400 miles of President Donald Trump’s border wall. The politics of the moment, five days before the election, was lost on no one. “The only reason we haven’t reached another crisis is because of the policies and procedures this administration put into place over the last several years, including the construction of an effective border wall system,” Chad Wolf, the acting homeland security secretary, told reporters, photographers and cameramen. “Abolishing these measures or reversing course is absolutely no way forward.” Immigration has not been a central theme of the race between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, but the future of some of the president’s hard-line policies at the border will be determined by the results. The Homeland Security Department has been racing to deliver on Trump’s promise of 450 miles of border wall before the end of the year. The agency is still about a week away from the 400-mile marker, according to Customs and Border Protection officials, and nearly all of the construction has been in areas where dilapidated fencing or vehicle barriers already stood. But the steel structure on the border, built without congressional approval, is something of a monument to the president’s determination. It has affected the environment, private property owners and, Homeland Security officials say, the job of border agents. Department leaders in recent days have traversed the nation, including in battleground states, to emphasize routine arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticize Democrats and blast so-called sanctuary city policies. The agency has also erected billboards in Pennsylvania to warn of the dangers posed by immigrants without legal status. All of that has amplified criticism that the department has become an arm of the Trump campaign. “There are partisan politics behind it, not operational reasons,” said David Lapan, a former spokesman for the Homeland Security and Defense departments under Trump. “Over the time of the Trump administration, DHS has been seen as more and more politicized.” The nonprofit government watchdog American Oversight requested that the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general investigate whether the senior leadership had violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities on the job. Standing in front of a line of Border Patrol agents, Wolf dismissed the criticism and defended policies that have effectively halted migration across the southwest border, leaving families in squalid tent camps in some of the most dangerous areas in Mexico. The Homeland Security officials also attacked the policy proposals of Biden, who has pledged to halt wall construction and end the Remain in Mexico program that has forced tens of thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for court hearings on asylum claims. Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Biden’s policies would prompt a migrant “invasion,” although he acknowledged in a separate interview that most migrants who crossed the border last year were not criminals but rather Central American families fleeing poverty. Asked in an interview whether his language could incite violence, Morgan responded defensively. “That’s what people immediately want to go to, is that we’re being xenophobic, we’re racist, right?” he said, adding: “I have no problem saying that the overwhelming majority of those trying to illegally enter the United States are not bad people, right? But some are. So my question is, how many?” Most illegal crossings into the United States in recent years have been in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, but only 7 miles of the wall have been constructed in the area. Private landowners in South Texas say the wall will cut through their properties; they have forced the Trump administration to go through the arduous process of asserting eminent domain in court. To make good on Trump’s promised 450 miles, the administration has concentrated construction in areas owned by the federal government, over terrain that already impedes border crossers. Chief Rodney Scott of Border Patrol conceded that the Rio Grande Valley “was higher priority for the U.S. Border Patrol.” But, he added, “we elected to go ahead and shift down to a lower priority because I could make a difference there and then.” That approach has damaged ecosystems and disrupted the migration of endangered wildlife, said Laiken Jordahl, a borderlands campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This 400-mile celebration is not insignificant,” he said. “This is something communities and Indigenous nations across the borderlands are mourning. This marks 400 miles of destruction.” The Trump administration has secured about $15 billion to build 731 miles of border wall, with much of the money transferred from the Defense Department and funds that had been appropriated by Congress for military construction projects and narcotics interdiction. With the president’s deadline nearing, the government has stepped up litigation against landowners in South Texas. It has filed 106 lawsuits against landowners this year to survey, seize and potentially begin construction, an increase from 27 lawsuits filed in 2019, said Ricky Garza, a staff lawyer for the Texas Civil Rights Project. The federal government filed 22 cases in September alone. “This is an attack on our culture, our heritage, our very identity, and that is why we are fighting,” said Melissa Cigarroa, a landowner who said the government had threatened to sue her for access to her property in Zapata County, Texas. “We feel it viscerally.” Homeland Security officials say the border wall is critical. It has allowed the agency to funnel migration into specific areas, where they can strategically place Border Patrol agents to apprehend migrants. They say it has freed those agents to make more arrests rather than respond to families seeking protection. This month, the agency is expected to record the highest monthly total of illegal crossings for the year, Wolf said. But the blockade on asylum came not from a wall of steel but a web of policy changes, especially the Remain in Mexico policy, which has forced more than 60,000 migrants back to Mexico to await court dates to have their asylum claims assessed. The department has also used a public health emergency declaration to rapidly return migrants, including unaccompanied children, to Mexico or their home countries without providing chances to have their asylum claims heard. While the department has said the rule has prevented the spread of disease in the United States, immigration lawyers say it conflicts with immigration laws that say migrants must have a chance to have their fear of persecution in their home countries heard when they step on U.S. soil. Morgan again pushed back. “There are times when someone’s want and need to claim asylum is superseded by something of far greater value,” he said, “and that’s lives of American citizens.” He added that migrants were still provided the opportunity to have fear of torture assessed by an immigration officer, although that screening carries a much higher bar than screenings for persecution. Morgan said the Mexican government had not verified reports of widespread violence against migrants in Mexico. But immigration advocacy organizations have recorded hundreds of attacks against those forced by the United States to return to Mexico, with some disseminating recordings of extortion attempts by cartels. Morgan blamed the migrants. “They’re intentionally leaving the sheltered environment, re-engaging the smuggling organizations, even when they’ve been told not to, to try to get illegally in the United States,” he said. “That’s when they’re exposing themselves.”

Trump's hard-line immigration policies go before voters

Political heat is stirring up ahead of the US election in duelling campaign rallies in key election state of Florida. Rival Joe Biden & President Donald Trump pulled out all stops to appeal to the voters just days before the voting day. Watch the report to know more.

Political heat stirs up ahead of the US Election; Trump & Biden's final appeal to voters

Donald Trump and Joe Biden square off with rallies in key Midwestern states on Friday as resurgent coronavirus further highlights their sharp differences just four days before the US presidential election.

Even with the United States reaching another daily record in new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, President Trump stuck to his strategy of downplaying its dangerousness and calling for businesses to reopen.

He has also ramped up fear-mongering, warning of rampaging "socialists" and seeking to portray his Democratic challenger as intent on shutting the country down.

Biden has sought to persuade the few remaining undecided voters that he would provide a steady hand on the wheel and heal America's "soul," calling Trump irresponsible.

The former vice president has held drive-in, socially distanced rallies, while Trump's gatherings have often seen attendees ignore such guidelines and eschew masks.

The two candidates plan to be in three Midwestern states on Friday, with both campaigning in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Trump will also travel to Michigan and Biden also plans to be in Iowa.

Trump's wins in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa helped propel him to victory in 2016.

But polling averages from the RealClearPolitics.com site show Biden up in all four of those states, ranging from 6.5 percentage points in Michigan to just one point in Iowa.

Still, Democrats and Republicans alike have repeatedly warned of the unreliability of polls, pointing to Trump's shock defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite surveys showing her to be the clear favorite.

- Florida rallies -

Trump and Biden are concentrating their efforts on battleground states that will decide the election in the days before the November 3 polls, and on Thursday both were in the crucial state of Florida.

Trump, 74, held another raucous rally in Tampa, telling the cheering crowd that coronavirus lockdowns under Biden would banish normal life.

"They will allow you nothing," the Republican said.

"We're never going to lock down again.... We're open for business," he said, telling supporters that his own recent bout with Covid-19 proved that it can be beaten.

"You know, the bottom line is you get better," he said.

But the pandemic, which has already taken 228,000 American lives, has shown its resilience and is undergoing a long-predicted second wave.

On Thursday more than 91,000 new US infections were recorded, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, the highest 24-hour total since the pandemic began.

Trump however did receive good news Thursday in his argument that he is best placed to bring about an economic recovery.

New figures showed an annual growth rate of 33.1 percent in the third quarter -- a jaw-dropping statistic that reflected the economy's rebound from such a low base.

Biden, addressing a socially distanced drive-in event in Broward County, reminded supporters that of all the states there are few as important as Florida in deciding the outcome of tight elections.

Rebuffing Trump's central charge, the 77-year-old emphasized his claim that he would bring responsible leadership after months of the White House downplaying the virus' danger.

"I'm not going to shut down the economy, I'm not going to shut down the country. I'm going to shut down the virus," he said in Tampa.

While Trump mocks him for holding small campaign events, Biden said he was leading by example, instead of staging the president's "super-spreader" events.

"The heart and soul of this country is at stake," he said.

- Huge early voting -

Trump sets the pace with a frenetic schedule, but Biden's strikingly quiet campaign is also revving up.

After Florida, Trump flew to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for a meeting with troops. A planned rally in the toss-up state was postponed until Monday due to the weather, the campaign said.

Mother nature intruded on Biden's Tampa rally too, as a heavy downpour forced him to cut his remarks short.

Trump defeated Clinton in Florida in 2016 but an NBC News/Marist poll released Thursday had Biden with a 51-47 point lead there.

A stunning 81 million Americans have already cast their ballots early in the hugely consequential election.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden square off with rallies in key Midwestern states on Friday as resurgent coronavirus further highlights their sharp differences just four days before the US presidential election.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden square off with rallies in key Midwestern states on Friday as resurgent coronavirus further highlights their sharp differences just four days before the US presidential election. Even with the United States reaching another daily record in new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, President Trump stuck to his strategy of downplaying its dangerousness and calling for businesses to reopen. He has also ramped up fear-mongering, warning of rampaging "socialists" and seeking to portray his Democratic challenger as intent on shutting the country down. Biden has sought to persuade the few remaining undecided voters that he would provide a steady hand on the wheel and heal America's "soul," calling Trump irresponsible. The former vice president has held drive-in, socially distanced rallies, while Trump's gatherings have often seen attendees ignore such guidelines and eschew masks. The two candidates plan to be in three Midwestern states on Friday, with both campaigning in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Trump will also travel to Michigan and Biden also plans to be in Iowa. Trump's wins in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa helped propel him to victory in 2016. But polling averages from the RealClearPolitics.com site show Biden up in all four of those states, ranging from 6.5 percentage points in Michigan to just one point in Iowa. Still, Democrats and Republicans alike have repeatedly warned of the unreliability of polls, pointing to Trump's shock defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite surveys showing her to be the clear favorite. - Florida rallies - Trump and Biden are concentrating their efforts on battleground states that will decide the election in the days before the November 3 polls, and on Thursday both were in the crucial state of Florida. Trump, 74, held another raucous rally in Tampa, telling the cheering crowd that coronavirus lockdowns under Biden would banish normal life. "They will allow you nothing," the Republican said. "We're never going to lock down again.... We're open for business," he said, telling supporters that his own recent bout with Covid-19 proved that it can be beaten. "You know, the bottom line is you get better," he said. But the pandemic, which has already taken 228,000 American lives, has shown its resilience and is undergoing a long-predicted second wave. On Thursday more than 91,000 new US infections were recorded, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, the highest 24-hour total since the pandemic began. Trump however did receive good news Thursday in his argument that he is best placed to bring about an economic recovery. New figures showed an annual growth rate of 33.1 percent in the third quarter -- a jaw-dropping statistic that reflected the economy's rebound from such a low base. Biden, addressing a socially distanced drive-in event in Broward County, reminded supporters that of all the states there are few as important as Florida in deciding the outcome of tight elections. Rebuffing Trump's central charge, the 77-year-old emphasized his claim that he would bring responsible leadership after months of the White House downplaying the virus' danger. "I'm not going to shut down the economy, I'm not going to shut down the country. I'm going to shut down the virus," he said in Tampa. While Trump mocks him for holding small campaign events, Biden said he was leading by example, instead of staging the president's "super-spreader" events. "The heart and soul of this country is at stake," he said. - Huge early voting - Trump sets the pace with a frenetic schedule, but Biden's strikingly quiet campaign is also revving up. After Florida, Trump flew to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for a meeting with troops. A planned rally in the toss-up state was postponed until Monday due to the weather, the campaign said. Mother nature intruded on Biden's Tampa rally too, as a heavy downpour forced him to cut his remarks short. Trump defeated Clinton in Florida in 2016 but an NBC News/Marist poll released Thursday had Biden with a 51-47 point lead there. A stunning 81 million Americans have already cast their ballots early in the hugely consequential election.

Trump, Biden square off in key Midwestern states

Be aware: Fake Twitter accounts will very likely sow disinformation in the few remaining days before Election Day on Nov. 3.

This week, researchers at the University of Southern California released a new study that identified thousands of automated accounts, or “bots,” on Twitter posting information related to President Donald Trump, Joe Biden and their campaigns. The study examined over 240 million election-related tweets from June through September.

Many of these bots, the study said, spread falsehoods related to the coronavirus and far-right conspiracy theories such QAnon and “pizzagate.” The study said that bots accounted for 20% of all tweets involving these political conspiracy theories.

“These bots are an integral part of the discussion” on social media, said Emilio Ferrara, the University of Southern California professor who led the study.

A Twitter spokesman questioned the study’s methods. “Research that uses only publicly available data is deeply flawed by design and often makes egregiously reductive claims based on these limited signals,” the spokesman said. “We continue to confront a changing threat landscape.”

Social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook have long worked to remove this kind of activity, which has been used by groups trying to foment discord in past elections in the United States and abroad. And the University of Southern California study showed that about two-thirds of the conspiracy-spreading bots it identified were no longer active by the middle of September.

In some cases, bots exhibit suspicious behavior. They might “follow” an unusually large number of other accounts — a number nearly as large as the number of accounts following them — or their usernames will include random digits.

But identifying bots with the naked eye is far from an exact science. And researchers say that automated accounts have grown more sophisticated in recent months. Typically, they say, bots are driven by a mix of automated software and human operators, who work to orchestrate and vary the behavior of the fake accounts to avoid detection.

Some bots show signs of automation — like only retweeting rather than tweeting new material or posting very frequently — but it can be difficult to definitively prove that accounts are inauthentic, researchers say. An automated account may stop tweeting at night, for example, as if there is a person behind it who is sleeping.

“You can clearly see they are automated,” said Pik-Mai Hui, an Indiana University researcher who has helped build a new set of tools that aim to track these bots in real time. “But they are operated in a way that makes it very difficult to say with complete certainty.”

These bots are operating on both sides of the political spectrum, according to the study from the University of Southern California. But right-leaning bots outnumbered their left-leaning counterparts by a ratio of 4-to-1 in the study, and the right-leaning bots were more than 12 times more likely to spread false conspiracy theories.

The study indicates that 13% of all accounts tweeting about conspiracy theories are automated, and because they tweet at a higher rate, they are sending a much larger proportion of the overall material.

“This is the most concerning part,” Ferrara said. “They are increasing the effect of the echo chamber.”

Be aware: Fake Twitter accounts will very likely sow disinformation in the few remaining days before Election Day on Nov. 3. This week, researchers at the University of Southern California released a new study that identified thousands of automated accounts, or “bots,” on Twitter posting information related to President Donald Trump, Joe Biden and their campaigns.

Be aware: Fake Twitter accounts will very likely sow disinformation in the few remaining days before Election Day on Nov. 3. This week, researchers at the University of Southern California released a new study that identified thousands of automated accounts, or “bots,” on Twitter posting information related to President Donald Trump, Joe Biden and their campaigns. The study examined over 240 million election-related tweets from June through September. Many of these bots, the study said, spread falsehoods related to the coronavirus and far-right conspiracy theories such QAnon and “pizzagate.” The study said that bots accounted for 20% of all tweets involving these political conspiracy theories. “These bots are an integral part of the discussion” on social media, said Emilio Ferrara, the University of Southern California professor who led the study. A Twitter spokesman questioned the study’s methods. “Research that uses only publicly available data is deeply flawed by design and often makes egregiously reductive claims based on these limited signals,” the spokesman said. “We continue to confront a changing threat landscape.” Social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook have long worked to remove this kind of activity, which has been used by groups trying to foment discord in past elections in the United States and abroad. And the University of Southern California study showed that about two-thirds of the conspiracy-spreading bots it identified were no longer active by the middle of September. In some cases, bots exhibit suspicious behavior. They might “follow” an unusually large number of other accounts — a number nearly as large as the number of accounts following them — or their usernames will include random digits. But identifying bots with the naked eye is far from an exact science. And researchers say that automated accounts have grown more sophisticated in recent months. Typically, they say, bots are driven by a mix of automated software and human operators, who work to orchestrate and vary the behavior of the fake accounts to avoid detection. Some bots show signs of automation — like only retweeting rather than tweeting new material or posting very frequently — but it can be difficult to definitively prove that accounts are inauthentic, researchers say. An automated account may stop tweeting at night, for example, as if there is a person behind it who is sleeping. “You can clearly see they are automated,” said Pik-Mai Hui, an Indiana University researcher who has helped build a new set of tools that aim to track these bots in real time. “But they are operated in a way that makes it very difficult to say with complete certainty.” These bots are operating on both sides of the political spectrum, according to the study from the University of Southern California. But right-leaning bots outnumbered their left-leaning counterparts by a ratio of 4-to-1 in the study, and the right-leaning bots were more than 12 times more likely to spread false conspiracy theories. The study indicates that 13% of all accounts tweeting about conspiracy theories are automated, and because they tweet at a higher rate, they are sending a much larger proportion of the overall material. “This is the most concerning part,” Ferrara said. “They are increasing the effect of the echo chamber.”

Twitter bots poised to spread disinformation before US election

Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, was the anonymous author of The New York Times op-ed article in 2018 whose description of President Donald Trump as “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective” roiled Washington and set off a hunt for his identity, Taylor confirmed Wednesday.

Taylor was also the anonymous author of “A Warning,” a book he wrote the following year that described the president as an “undisciplined” and “amoral” leader whose abuse of power threatened the foundations of American democracy. He acknowledged that he was the author of both the book and the opinion article in an interview and in a three-page statement he posted online.

Taylor resigned from Homeland Security in June 2019 and went public with his criticism of Trump this past summer. He released a video just before the start of the Republican National Convention declaring that the president was unfit for office and endorsed Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee.

But Taylor, who had repeatedly denied being Anonymous, did not reveal himself to be the author of the opinion article and book at the time.

On Wednesday, Trump claimed not to know who Taylor is, despite the fact that there are numerous pictures of the president with Taylor in meetings.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-american-voters-make-history-more-than-70-million-cast-ballots-338468">Also read|&nbsp;US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots</a>

“Who is Miles Taylor? Said he was ‘anonymous’, but I don’t know him — never even heard of him,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Just another @nytimes SCAM — he worked in conjunction with them. Also worked for Big Tech’s @Google. Now works for Fake News @CNN. They should fire, shame, and punish everybody associated with this FRAUD on the American people!”

The op-ed pages of The Times are managed separately from the news department, which was never told of Anonymous’ identity.

Taylor served for two years as a top aide to Kirstjen Nielsen, Trump’s third homeland security secretary, and wrote in The Times that he was part of a cadre of officials around Trump who were quietly working to “frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.”

As a senior administration official, Taylor often interacted with the president at the White House, particularly on issues related to immigration, cybersecurity and terrorism. He left government after Nielsen was fired and later became the head of national security relations for Google. He has been on personal leave from the company for the past several months after endorsing Biden and has been organizing other Republicans to campaign against Trump’s reelection.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/donald-trump-vs-joe-biden-which-celebrity-is-backing-whom-in-the-us-presidential-elections-333505">Also read|&nbsp;Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden: Which celebrity is backing whom in the US presidential elections</a>

“More than two years ago, I published an anonymous opinion piece in The New York Times about Donald Trump’s perilous presidency, while I was serving under him. He responded with a short but telling tweet: ‘TREASON?’” Taylor wrote in his statement.

“When I left the administration, I wrote ‘A Warning,’ a character study of the current commander in chief and a caution to voters that it wasn’t as bad as it looked inside the Trump administration — it was worse,” he added.

The disclosure of Taylor’s identity is likely to renew the debate over his mdotives and raise questions about whether his position in the Trump administration was senior enough to justify the decisions by The Times’ Opinion desk and the book’s publisher to keep his identity secret. As chief of staff to a Cabinet secretary, Taylor was one of the top political officials in the sprawling, 240,000-person department, with frequent access to Trump and other senior White House officials.

At the time, The Times published the essay with a note that said: “The Times is taking the rare step of publishing an anonymous Op-Ed essay. We have done so at the request of the author, a senior official in the Trump administration whose identity is known to us and whose job would be jeopardized by its disclosure. We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers.”

Taylor’s decision to assail the president anonymously in the Times article created a sensation in Washington because of its claims about the president’s lack of character and inability to govern. In the book, Taylor described Trump as a “12-year-old in an air traffic control tower, pushing the buttons of government indiscriminately, indifferent to the planes skidding across the runway.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-surge-in-can-i-change-my-vote-donald-trump-says-trend-refers-to-him-338447">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: Surge in 'can I change my vote'; Donald Trump says trend refers to him</a>

Taylor’s essay has had less impact over time as an array of onetime Trump administration officials have come forward with names attached to publicly criticize the president’s leadership and character, among them the former defense secretary, Jim Mattis, and Trump’s third national security adviser, John Bolton. But Taylor’s essay was among the first cracks in the White House defense and led to prolonged speculation about the writer’s identity, with readers pointing to specific passages in it as evidence of who must have been the author.

The White House engaged in its own lengthy hunt to identify who had written the article. In the days after its publication, Trump declared that he wanted the attorney general at the time, Jeff Sessions, to find the writer, saying, “I would say Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it’s national security.”

As late as November, the Justice Department demanded to know from the publisher of the forthcoming book whether the author had violated any confidentiality agreements related to classified information.

The president last year called the author of the Times article a “gutless” bureaucrat and tweeted “TREASON?” In a statement ahead of the book’s publication last year, Stephanie Grisham, then the White House press secretary, called the author “a coward” who wrote a “work of fiction” filled with lies about the president.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-president-donald-trumps-wildest-prediction-till-date-338554">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: President Donald Trump's wildest prediction till date</a>

“Real authors reach out to their subjects to get things fact-checked — but this person is hiding, making that very basic part of being a real writer impossible,” Grisham said.

On Wednesday, Kayleigh McEnany, the president’s current press secretary, called Taylor a “low-level, disgruntled former staffer,” adding that he “is a liar and a coward who chose anonymity over action and leaking over leading. He was ineffective and incompetent during his time as DHS chief of staff.”

McEnany said that “it is appalling a low-ranking official would be granted anonymity, and it is clear The New York Times is doing the bidding of Never-Trumpers and Democrats.”

In the book, Taylor said he decided to remain anonymous because he believed that revealing his identity would have allowed Trump and his allies to distract attention from the substance of the critique he leveled against the president.

“I have decided to publish this anonymously because this debate is not about me,” Taylor wrote. “Removing my identity from the equation deprives him of an opportunity to create a distraction. What will he do when there is no person to attack, only an idea?”

In his statement Wednesday, Taylor acknowledged that “some people consider it questionable to levy such serious charges against a sitting president under the cover of anonymity.” But he said he his decision was justified.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-polling-guru-who-forecasted-donald-trumps-2016-win-reveals-this-years-winner-338228">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: Polling guru who forecasted Donald Trump's 2016 win, reveals this year's winner</a>

“Issuing my critiques without attribution forced the president to answer them directly on their merits or not at all, rather than creating distractions through petty insults and name-calling,” Taylor wrote. “I wanted the attention to be on the arguments themselves. At the time I asked, ‘What will he do when there is no person to attack, only an idea?’ We got the answer. He became unhinged. And the ideas stood on their own two feet.”

Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The Times, said in a statement that “we take seriously our obligations to protect sources.”

She added: “Many important stories in sensitive areas like politics, national security and business could never be reported if our journalists violated that trust. In this case, however, the writer has personally waived our agreement to keep his identity confidential. We can confirm that he is the author of the Anonymous op-ed. We don’t plan to comment further.”

The book’s publisher, Sean Desmond of Twelve Books, said in a statement that the company was proud of the book, which he said “every day seems more and more prescient.”

He added, “Miles Taylor has been a great publishing partner, and we support him and the true act of political courage it took to tell his story.”

The publisher has said that Taylor declined to take any advance payment for writing it and has pledged to donate a large portion of any royalties to nonprofit organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, the membership organization for reporters who cover the president.

Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, was the anonymous author of The New York Times op-ed article in 2018 whose description of President Donald Trump as “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective” roiled Washington and set off a hunt for his identity, Taylor confirmed Wednesday.

Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, was the anonymous author of The New York Times op-ed article in 2018 whose description of President Donald Trump as “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective” roiled Washington and set off a hunt for his identity, Taylor confirmed Wednesday. Taylor was also the anonymous author of “A Warning,” a book he wrote the following year that described the president as an “undisciplined” and “amoral” leader whose abuse of power threatened the foundations of American democracy. He acknowledged that he was the author of both the book and the opinion article in an interview and in a three-page statement he posted online. Taylor resigned from Homeland Security in June 2019 and went public with his criticism of Trump this past summer. He released a video just before the start of the Republican National Convention declaring that the president was unfit for office and endorsed Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee. But Taylor, who had repeatedly denied being Anonymous, did not reveal himself to be the author of the opinion article and book at the time. On Wednesday, Trump claimed not to know who Taylor is, despite the fact that there are numerous pictures of the president with Taylor in meetings. Also read| US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots “Who is Miles Taylor? Said he was ‘anonymous’, but I don’t know him — never even heard of him,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Just another @nytimes SCAM — he worked in conjunction with them. Also worked for Big Tech’s @Google. Now works for Fake News @CNN. They should fire, shame, and punish everybody associated with this FRAUD on the American people!” The op-ed pages of The Times are managed separately from the news department, which was never told of Anonymous’ identity. Taylor served for two years as a top aide to Kirstjen Nielsen, Trump’s third homeland security secretary, and wrote in The Times that he was part of a cadre of officials around Trump who were quietly working to “frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.” As a senior administration official, Taylor often interacted with the president at the White House, particularly on issues related to immigration, cybersecurity and terrorism. He left government after Nielsen was fired and later became the head of national security relations for Google. He has been on personal leave from the company for the past several months after endorsing Biden and has been organizing other Republicans to campaign against Trump’s reelection. Also read| Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden: Which celebrity is backing whom in the US presidential elections “More than two years ago, I published an anonymous opinion piece in The New York Times about Donald Trump’s perilous presidency, while I was serving under him. He responded with a short but telling tweet: ‘TREASON?’” Taylor wrote in his statement. “When I left the administration, I wrote ‘A Warning,’ a character study of the current commander in chief and a caution to voters that it wasn’t as bad as it looked inside the Trump administration — it was worse,” he added. The disclosure of Taylor’s identity is likely to renew the debate over his mdotives and raise questions about whether his position in the Trump administration was senior enough to justify the decisions by The Times’ Opinion desk and the book’s publisher to keep his identity secret. As chief of staff to a Cabinet secretary, Taylor was one of the top political officials in the sprawling, 240,000-person department, with frequent access to Trump and other senior White House officials. At the time, The Times published the essay with a note that said: “The Times is taking the rare step of publishing an anonymous Op-Ed essay. We have done so at the request of the author, a senior official in the Trump administration whose identity is known to us and whose job would be jeopardized by its disclosure. We believe publishing this essay anonymously is the only way to deliver an important perspective to our readers.” Taylor’s decision to assail the president anonymously in the Times article created a sensation in Washington because of its claims about the president’s lack of character and inability to govern. In the book, Taylor described Trump as a “12-year-old in an air traffic control tower, pushing the buttons of government indiscriminately, indifferent to the planes skidding across the runway.” Also read| US election 2020: Surge in 'can I change my vote'; Donald Trump says trend refers to him Taylor’s essay has had less impact over time as an array of onetime Trump administration officials have come forward with names attached to publicly criticize the president’s leadership and character, among them the former defense secretary, Jim Mattis, and Trump’s third national security adviser, John Bolton. But Taylor’s essay was among the first cracks in the White House defense and led to prolonged speculation about the writer’s identity, with readers pointing to specific passages in it as evidence of who must have been the author. The White House engaged in its own lengthy hunt to identify who had written the article. In the days after its publication, Trump declared that he wanted the attorney general at the time, Jeff Sessions, to find the writer, saying, “I would say Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it’s national security.” As late as November, the Justice Department demanded to know from the publisher of the forthcoming book whether the author had violated any confidentiality agreements related to classified information. The president last year called the author of the Times article a “gutless” bureaucrat and tweeted “TREASON?” In a statement ahead of the book’s publication last year, Stephanie Grisham, then the White House press secretary, called the author “a coward” who wrote a “work of fiction” filled with lies about the president. Also read| US election 2020: President Donald Trump's wildest prediction till date “Real authors reach out to their subjects to get things fact-checked — but this person is hiding, making that very basic part of being a real writer impossible,” Grisham said. On Wednesday, Kayleigh McEnany, the president’s current press secretary, called Taylor a “low-level, disgruntled former staffer,” adding that he “is a liar and a coward who chose anonymity over action and leaking over leading. He was ineffective and incompetent during his time as DHS chief of staff.” McEnany said that “it is appalling a low-ranking official would be granted anonymity, and it is clear The New York Times is doing the bidding of Never-Trumpers and Democrats.” In the book, Taylor said he decided to remain anonymous because he believed that revealing his identity would have allowed Trump and his allies to distract attention from the substance of the critique he leveled against the president. “I have decided to publish this anonymously because this debate is not about me,” Taylor wrote. “Removing my identity from the equation deprives him of an opportunity to create a distraction. What will he do when there is no person to attack, only an idea?” In his statement Wednesday, Taylor acknowledged that “some people consider it questionable to levy such serious charges against a sitting president under the cover of anonymity.” But he said he his decision was justified. Also read| US election 2020: Polling guru who forecasted Donald Trump's 2016 win, reveals this year's winner “Issuing my critiques without attribution forced the president to answer them directly on their merits or not at all, rather than creating distractions through petty insults and name-calling,” Taylor wrote. “I wanted the attention to be on the arguments themselves. At the time I asked, ‘What will he do when there is no person to attack, only an idea?’ We got the answer. He became unhinged. And the ideas stood on their own two feet.” Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The Times, said in a statement that “we take seriously our obligations to protect sources.” She added: “Many important stories in sensitive areas like politics, national security and business could never be reported if our journalists violated that trust. In this case, however, the writer has personally waived our agreement to keep his identity confidential. We can confirm that he is the author of the Anonymous op-ed. We don’t plan to comment further.” The book’s publisher, Sean Desmond of Twelve Books, said in a statement that the company was proud of the book, which he said “every day seems more and more prescient.” He added, “Miles Taylor has been a great publishing partner, and we support him and the true act of political courage it took to tell his story.” The publisher has said that Taylor declined to take any advance payment for writing it and has pledged to donate a large portion of any royalties to nonprofit organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, the membership organization for reporters who cover the president.

Miles Taylor, a former Homeland security official, reveals he was ‘anonymous’

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving more Americans to vote by mail. At least 70 million Americans have already cast their ballots with a record number which keeps getting larger day by day. Watch the report to know, how is the vote counted on election night?

US Election 2020: How is the vote counted on election night?

There are just 6 days to go for US Presidential Election 2020 and early voting is taking pace at a historic pace. Number of votes cast has topped 70 million. This is more than half of the total early-voting turnout in the last election. It is as much a sign of how most Americans don't want to risk exposure to COVID-19 as it is of an intense fight between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

But do most Americans want to change their vote?&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-can-americans-change-their-vote-338653/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Donald Trump says they do. He says most &nbsp;Americans want to change their vote to him after watching the final presidential debate

Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life!" he tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1321042229838909441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

After advising people to vote twice, Trump now wants them to change their preference and vote again. In America, you can change your vote yes, but not in 'most states' as the US President suggests. Only a few handful of states have this option

How it works

Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska and some counties in Connecticut explicitly allow voters to change their absentee ballot. In New York, there's no specific provision to correct a vote. Voters who have returned their absentee ballot can still vote in person on election day. But only in-person vote will be counted.

Everywhere else, once a vote is cast, it cannot be changed.&nbsp;

But do Americans really want to change their votes?

Trump says recent Google trends suggest they do. He says the topic was trending on Google after the final debate. After looking at Google's top trending searches Trump's claim does hold up to some extent at least. There has been a spike in 'can I change my vote' searches in last two weeks. But there is no way to know whether the spike is related either to the debate or to the fact that most people want to change their vote to Trump. It can hence be said that Donald Trump exaggerated.

Meanwhile, the shooting of a 27-year-old African American in Philadelphia has drawn fresh attention to police brutality. The entire incident has been caught on the video. The victim Walter Wallace was seen holding a knife in the encounter. The police say that they shot him because he refused to drop the weapon.

But for protesters, this was yet another act of racism and high-handedness of American police. America has gone back to the state it was in a few months back. There is violence, arson and loot. The US National Guard has been called in as Philadelphia braces for further unrest.

Six days to go for the presidential polls, and America is as divided as it was.

There are just 6 days to go for US Presidential Election 2020 and early voting is taking pace at a historic pace. Number of votes cast has topped 70 million. This is more than half of the total early-voting turnout in the last election.

There are just 6 days to go for US Presidential Election 2020 and early voting is taking pace at a historic pace. Number of votes cast has topped 70 million. This is more than half of the total early-voting turnout in the last election. It is as much a sign of how most Americans don't want to risk exposure to COVID-19 as it is of an intense fight between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. But do most Americans want to change their vote? Watch | Donald Trump says they do. He says most Americans want to change their vote to him after watching the final presidential debate Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life!" he tweeted. Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2020 × After advising people to vote twice, Trump now wants them to change their preference and vote again. In America, you can change your vote yes, but not in 'most states' as the US President suggests. Only a few handful of states have this option How it works Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska and some counties in Connecticut explicitly allow voters to change their absentee ballot. In New York, there's no specific provision to correct a vote. Voters who have returned their absentee ballot can still vote in person on election day. But only in-person vote will be counted. Everywhere else, once a vote is cast, it cannot be changed. But do Americans really want to change their votes? Trump says recent Google trends suggest they do. He says the topic was trending on Google after the final debate. After looking at Google's top trending searches Trump's claim does hold up to some extent at least. There has been a spike in 'can I change my vote' searches in last two weeks. But there is no way to know whether the spike is related either to the debate or to the fact that most people want to change their vote to Trump. It can hence be said that Donald Trump exaggerated. Meanwhile, the shooting of a 27-year-old African American in Philadelphia has drawn fresh attention to police brutality. The entire incident has been caught on the video. The victim Walter Wallace was seen holding a knife in the encounter. The police say that they shot him because he refused to drop the weapon. But for protesters, this was yet another act of racism and high-handedness of American police. America has gone back to the state it was in a few months back. There is violence, arson and loot. The US National Guard has been called in as Philadelphia braces for further unrest. Six days to go for the presidential polls, and America is as divided as it was.

US Elections 2020: Do most Americans want to change their vote?

Jennifer Lawrence created headlines last week when she revealed that she supported the Democrats despite hailing from a family of Republicans. On Tuesday, the actress took to Twitter to reveal that how she grew up in a Republican household and changed her political standing during Barack Obama's tenure as President of the United States.&nbsp; 
 
"I would like to clarify my voting record, which is the subject of many circulating headlines," she tweeted. "I grew up in a Republican family and voted for John McCain in 2008, but through Obama`s presidency, and growing up to realize I was voting against my own rights, I am proud to say I am a Democrat #Obama #HRC #BidenHarris," she added.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Obama?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Obama</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HRC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HRC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenHarris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenHarris</a> <a href="https://t.co/UgAoPhgZJV">pic.twitter.com/UgAoPhgZJV</a>
— Jennifer Lawrence - Represent.Us (@JLawrence_RepUs) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLawrence_RepUs/status/1321141203228766208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

For the upcoming US presidential election, Lawrence is casting her ballot for Democratic Party`s candidate Joe Biden.&nbsp;

During her chat on `Absolutely Not,` the Oscar-winning actor said that she understood "the fiscal benefits of the Republican policies," but found that "the social issues weren`t in line with" her own beliefs. 
 
Lawrence had also said that she found former President Barack Obama`s presidency to be tamer in comparison to Donald Trump led current administration. 
&nbsp;

Jennifer Lawrence created headlines last week when she revealed that she supported the Democrats despite hailing from a family of Republicans. On Tuesday, the actress took to Twitter to reveal that how she grew up in a Republican household and changed her political standing during Barack Obama's tenure as President of the United States.

Jennifer Lawrence created headlines last week when she revealed that she supported the Democrats despite hailing from a family of Republicans. On Tuesday, the actress took to Twitter to reveal that how she grew up in a Republican household and changed her political standing during Barack Obama's tenure as President of the United States. "I would like to clarify my voting record, which is the subject of many circulating headlines," she tweeted. "I grew up in a Republican family and voted for John McCain in 2008, but through Obama`s presidency, and growing up to realize I was voting against my own rights, I am proud to say I am a Democrat #Obama #HRC #BidenHarris," she added. #Obama #HRC #BidenHarris pic.twitter.com/UgAoPhgZJV — Jennifer Lawrence - Represent.Us (@JLawrence_RepUs) October 27, 2020 × For the upcoming US presidential election, Lawrence is casting her ballot for Democratic Party`s candidate Joe Biden. During her chat on `Absolutely Not,` the Oscar-winning actor said that she understood "the fiscal benefits of the Republican policies," but found that "the social issues weren`t in line with" her own beliefs. Lawrence had also said that she found former President Barack Obama`s presidency to be tamer in comparison to Donald Trump led current administration.

Jennifer Lawrence says she has been voting against her own rights as a Republican

Millions of Americans will turn on their television, pull up their twitter apps & log on to new websites for #Election2020 updates. But the eager anticipation might end up in disappointment due to an unprecedented delay. WION reports.

US Election 2020: Unprecedented delay in election outcome

Donald Trump wants a winner announced on election night; Donald Trump's team posts an ad declaring Trump won; Facebook deletes the ad; Trump wants to hold election night party. With so much demand for a result on the election night, will the delay lead to a murky post-poll scenario?

US Election 2020: Concerns over declaring election winner

With the senate Judiciary committee grilling the chiefs of Facebook, Google & Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg have defended the law protecting internet companies. To avoid a repeat of 2016 election fiasco, Facebook has deployed tools for the most contentious elections in America.

US Election 2020: Social media braces for election chaos

The shooting of a 27-year-old African-American in Philadelphia has drawn fresh attention to the fatal use of police force & racial injustice. Protests turned violent & businesses ruined. With just 6 days to election, focus remains on the swing state of Pennsylvania

US Election 2020: Shooting & violence a week before election

The final lap of #USElection cycle witnesses an action-packed campaign rallies. Donald Trump's team & Joe Biden's team have spread out across the swing states to address voters. Melania Trump is the new addition to the U.S. Rally round-up.

US Election 2020: Campaign teams spread out in swing states

Experts say that polarisation in the U.S. has spread beyond policies to more fundamental political disagreements. 'Lock her up' chants from 2016 has found its way to almost all Donald Trump's rivals in 2020. WION reports some usual & unusual voter appeals by The President.

US Election 2020: China, woman president & suburban women

Less than a week away from the US elections 2020, the&nbsp;Democrat candidate and former Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;cast an early vote with his wife, Jill Biden, in his home town of&nbsp;Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday.

Biden&nbsp;was seen entering the Delaware States Building in Wilmington on Wednesday shortly after talking to a group of supporters about how he would help the country come out of a pandemic with a better plan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-american-voters-make-history-more-than-70-million-cast-ballots-338468">Also read|&nbsp;US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots</a>

In the Delaware State Building,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;cast an early vote and also met other voters who had either voted by mail and/or had voted early. He also met with few health experts to discuss and fine-tune the plan to fight the novel coronavirus — an issue he has been pushing against the current Republican candidate and President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to gain the upper hand in the upcoming elections.

Former Vice President's words were a little different from his previous public gatherings and rallies. Earlier,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;has always claimed that he will help Americans come out of this pandemic as healthy human beings, rather than them losing their loved ones to this deadly virus. However, on Wednesday,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;talked about how he will put a lot of hard work from Day 1 of his Presidency, but cannot bring a magic switch to hop put of the pandemic. "Even if I win it's going to take a lot of hard work to end this pandemic," he said in Wilmington.

"I'm not running on a false promise of being able to end this pandemic by flipping a switch," he added. "But what I can promise you is this: we'll start on Day 1 by doing the right thing. We'll let science guide our decisions."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/joe-biden-holds-drive-in-rally-a-week-before-us-election-2020-338552">Have a look|&nbsp;Joe Biden holds 'drive-in' rally a week before US election 2020</a>

To prove his point, he has also been campaigning and holding rallies in small gatherings, unlike&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;who holds gatherings in large grounds and stadiums with little or no precautions and is also often seen boasting about the huge turnout.

Trump, along with the First Lady <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-election-2020-flotus-melania-trump-and-her-recent-controversies-337452">Melania Trump</a>,&nbsp;voted in-person over the weekend. His daughter,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-election-2020-trump-family-finally-wears-facemasks-at-the-last-presidential-debate-337442"> Ivanka Trump</a>, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were massively mocked on the internet after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-ivanka-trump-and-jared-kushner-opt-for-mail-in-voting-as-donald-trump-questions-authenticity-338532">First Daughter posted a picture of the couple holding a mail-in voting envelope</a> while her father sat on his chair onboard the Air Force One —&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;has repeatedly criticised and questioned the authenticity of the mail-in ballots.

The two leaders are now wrapping up their campaign trail with the elections due on November 03.

Less than a week away from the US elections 2020, the Democrat candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden cast an early vote with his wife, Jill Biden, in his home town of Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday.

Less than a week away from the US elections 2020, the Democrat candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden cast an early vote with his wife, Jill Biden, in his home town of Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday. Biden was seen entering the Delaware States Building in Wilmington on Wednesday shortly after talking to a group of supporters about how he would help the country come out of a pandemic with a better plan. Also read| US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots In the Delaware State Building, Biden cast an early vote and also met other voters who had either voted by mail and/or had voted early. He also met with few health experts to discuss and fine-tune the plan to fight the novel coronavirus — an issue he has been pushing against the current Republican candidate and President Donald Trump to gain the upper hand in the upcoming elections. Former Vice President's words were a little different from his previous public gatherings and rallies. Earlier, Biden has always claimed that he will help Americans come out of this pandemic as healthy human beings, rather than them losing their loved ones to this deadly virus. However, on Wednesday, Biden talked about how he will put a lot of hard work from Day 1 of his Presidency, but cannot bring a magic switch to hop put of the pandemic. "Even if I win it's going to take a lot of hard work to end this pandemic," he said in Wilmington. "I'm not running on a false promise of being able to end this pandemic by flipping a switch," he added. "But what I can promise you is this: we'll start on Day 1 by doing the right thing. We'll let science guide our decisions." Have a look| Joe Biden holds 'drive-in' rally a week before US election 2020 To prove his point, he has also been campaigning and holding rallies in small gatherings, unlike Trump who holds gatherings in large grounds and stadiums with little or no precautions and is also often seen boasting about the huge turnout. Trump, along with the First Lady Melania Trump, voted in-person over the weekend. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were massively mocked on the internet after the First Daughter posted a picture of the couple holding a mail-in voting envelope while her father sat on his chair onboard the Air Force One — Trump has repeatedly criticised and questioned the authenticity of the mail-in ballots. The two leaders are now wrapping up their campaign trail with the elections due on November 03.

Joe Biden and wife, Jill Biden, cast early vote in Wilmington days before US Election

The Palestinians are counting on a Trump defeat on Tuesday. They don’t even want to think about Plan B.

An end to the Trump administration would give the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, a face-saving chance to reverse a self-inflicted economic hardship that has been punishing his people for months.

Fearing Israeli annexation of West Bank land the Palestinians have counted on for a future state, Abbas, in a bitter protest, stopped accepting transfers of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes that Israel collects on the Palestinian Authority’s behalf. That forced painful salary cuts for tens of thousands of civil servants.

But former Vice President Joe Biden has made clear that he opposes Israeli annexation of land Palestinians want for a future state, and Israel has said it would not proceed without U.S. support. So a Biden victory would provide Abbas with “a ladder to climb down from the tree,” said Jehad Harb, a Palestinian political analyst in Ramallah. He could declare annexation dead and go back to accepting the tax transfers.

Isolated diplomatically and running out of money, plagued by old internal ideological divisions and by new threats like the coronavirus, the Palestinians are looking to Tuesday’s election more desperate than ever for a change in Washington. At the same time, senior members of Abbas’ Fatah party are increasingly looking ahead to his eventual exit from the stage and positioning themselves to try to succeed him.

Above all, Abbas, 84, and his lieutenants are counting on a President Biden to shelve the Trump administration’s lopsidedly pro-Israel plan for resolving the conflict. They are expecting a return to U.S. support for a two-state solution that Palestinians would consider viable. They are hoping for a thaw with the White House and wishing for the reinstatement of at least some financial aid.

Rolling back other moves by Trump, however, would be more complicated, like reopening a Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington. And Biden has already ruled out undoing Trump’s move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Should Trump win a second term, the Palestinians see no good options.

In a second term, Trump administration officials have vowed to press to make their Mideast plan, which contemplates Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank, a basis for resolving the decades-old conflict.

And they have promised to complete more normalization deals for Israel with Arab countries like those with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, which shredded the decades-old Arab solidarity that had underpinned the Palestinian national strategy: No recognition of Israel before the creation of a Palestinian state.

But if Abbas is anxiously waiting to see whether Trump leaves office, nearly everyone around him is looking ahead to the day after Abbas makes his own exit. Senior members of his party are throwing elbows at one another while courting publicity for their own efforts at diplomacy, technocratic governance or popular protest.

“The ship is sinking, and everyone is fighting over the first-class cabin,” said Ghaith al-Omari, a former adviser to Abbas.

People around Abbas say he has even become fearful that the United States, Israel and their newly emboldened allies in the Arab world might plot to engineer his replacement — a concern rekindled by a recent interview with Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi spy chief and diplomat, on Saudi state television.

“With those people,” Bandar said, referring to the Palestinian leadership, “it’s hard to trust them or to think you can do something to serve Palestine in their presence.”

Ultimately, many analysts say, Abbas may have to eat crow and reengage the Trump administration, ideally with some sort of face-saving diplomatic cover like the intervention of a multilateral institution.

For now, though, he has tried to create at least the appearance of other options.

Suddenly something of an outcast among his traditional Arab allies in Egypt and the Gulf, he sought to send them a message — albeit one that few have accepted at face value — by flirting with Turkey and Qatar, bitter regional and ideological rivals of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Abbas revived the idea of reconciling with Hamas, the militant Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip. And he promised to call new elections in both the West Bank and Gaza as a way to reunify the Palestinians, renew his legitimacy and hamper any effort to oust him.

But few see these as serious options. Abbas is deeply mistrustful of Hamas, which is allied with Turkey and Qatar, and fearful that it could win control of the West Bank in new elections.

“Hot air,” said Mouin Rabbani, an expert on Palestinian politics, describing what he thought the end result of Abbas’ unity and elections bid would be.

Difficult as it may be to believe now, Abbas was quite optimistic about the Trump administration in its first few months, when the new president surprised many in the region by expressing interest in settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all.

But those hopes were quickly dashed, and the administration’s treatment of the Palestinians became a growing nightmare of aid cuts, affronts and insults.

Upending long-standing U.S. positions on Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, settlements and other highly contentious aspects of the conflict, the administration seemed to go out of its way to take Israel’s side and undercut the Palestinians — infuriating Abbas, weakening his authority and isolating him diplomatically.

But even if Biden is elected, it will be difficult to undo much of what Trump has done.

Allowing the reopening of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s diplomatic mission in Washington or restoring much of the aid to projects that directly benefited the Palestinian Authority would require Biden to overcome a number of legal obstacles, some of which might require congressional approval.

And reestablishing the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, which until 2019 functioned as the U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians, would require Israel’s permission — something it may not be too quick to grant in a city that Trump himself formally recognized as Israel’s capital.

“These are all possible, but they would require heavy political lifting,” said Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and an expert on the role of Congress in the region.

What Abbas may wish for most — that Biden would prioritize the Palestinian cause, pressure Israel to make concessions and even move the U.S. Embassy back to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem — seems highly unlikely at best.

Biden has made clear he has many higher priorities, beginning with the coronavirus pandemic. He has signaled that he does not want to clash with the Israeli government.

“The idea that everything will go back to the way it was before is somewhat of a fairy tale,” Rabbani said.

None of Abbas’ would-be successors are articulating a bold change in strategy either. But such ideas do exist outside of the Palestinian leadership.

Some Palestinians support renewed efforts to revive negotiations with Israel. Others want the Palestinian Authority to dissolve itself, forcing Israel to take responsibility for their lives and absorb the heavy financial and societal costs of a full-blown, direct military occupation, even in densely populated West Bank cities where Palestinians now generally govern themselves.

And fully 26% of Palestinians in the West Bank, according to a new poll, favor a return to an armed struggle against Israel.

A smaller but growing number of activists have tried to build interest in a peaceful protest movement.

Still, with Israeli politics moving rightward, many on the West Bank see little reason for optimism.

Khalil al-Arda, 52, a member of the municipal council in the village of Arraba, near Jenin, said he feared the status quo would never improve.

“I feel like we’re in a very dark tunnel with no light at the end,” he said.

The Palestinians are counting on a Trump defeat on Tuesday. They don’t even want to think about Plan B. An end to the Trump administration would give the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, a face-saving chance to reverse a self-inflicted economic hardship that has been punishing his people for months.

The Palestinians are counting on a Trump defeat on Tuesday. They don’t even want to think about Plan B. An end to the Trump administration would give the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, a face-saving chance to reverse a self-inflicted economic hardship that has been punishing his people for months. Fearing Israeli annexation of West Bank land the Palestinians have counted on for a future state, Abbas, in a bitter protest, stopped accepting transfers of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes that Israel collects on the Palestinian Authority’s behalf. That forced painful salary cuts for tens of thousands of civil servants. But former Vice President Joe Biden has made clear that he opposes Israeli annexation of land Palestinians want for a future state, and Israel has said it would not proceed without U.S. support. So a Biden victory would provide Abbas with “a ladder to climb down from the tree,” said Jehad Harb, a Palestinian political analyst in Ramallah. He could declare annexation dead and go back to accepting the tax transfers. Isolated diplomatically and running out of money, plagued by old internal ideological divisions and by new threats like the coronavirus, the Palestinians are looking to Tuesday’s election more desperate than ever for a change in Washington. At the same time, senior members of Abbas’ Fatah party are increasingly looking ahead to his eventual exit from the stage and positioning themselves to try to succeed him. Above all, Abbas, 84, and his lieutenants are counting on a President Biden to shelve the Trump administration’s lopsidedly pro-Israel plan for resolving the conflict. They are expecting a return to U.S. support for a two-state solution that Palestinians would consider viable. They are hoping for a thaw with the White House and wishing for the reinstatement of at least some financial aid. Rolling back other moves by Trump, however, would be more complicated, like reopening a Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington. And Biden has already ruled out undoing Trump’s move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Should Trump win a second term, the Palestinians see no good options. In a second term, Trump administration officials have vowed to press to make their Mideast plan, which contemplates Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank, a basis for resolving the decades-old conflict. And they have promised to complete more normalization deals for Israel with Arab countries like those with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, which shredded the decades-old Arab solidarity that had underpinned the Palestinian national strategy: No recognition of Israel before the creation of a Palestinian state. But if Abbas is anxiously waiting to see whether Trump leaves office, nearly everyone around him is looking ahead to the day after Abbas makes his own exit. Senior members of his party are throwing elbows at one another while courting publicity for their own efforts at diplomacy, technocratic governance or popular protest. “The ship is sinking, and everyone is fighting over the first-class cabin,” said Ghaith al-Omari, a former adviser to Abbas. People around Abbas say he has even become fearful that the United States, Israel and their newly emboldened allies in the Arab world might plot to engineer his replacement — a concern rekindled by a recent interview with Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi spy chief and diplomat, on Saudi state television. “With those people,” Bandar said, referring to the Palestinian leadership, “it’s hard to trust them or to think you can do something to serve Palestine in their presence.” Ultimately, many analysts say, Abbas may have to eat crow and reengage the Trump administration, ideally with some sort of face-saving diplomatic cover like the intervention of a multilateral institution. For now, though, he has tried to create at least the appearance of other options. Suddenly something of an outcast among his traditional Arab allies in Egypt and the Gulf, he sought to send them a message — albeit one that few have accepted at face value — by flirting with Turkey and Qatar, bitter regional and ideological rivals of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Abbas revived the idea of reconciling with Hamas, the militant Islamic group that rules the Gaza Strip. And he promised to call new elections in both the West Bank and Gaza as a way to reunify the Palestinians, renew his legitimacy and hamper any effort to oust him. But few see these as serious options. Abbas is deeply mistrustful of Hamas, which is allied with Turkey and Qatar, and fearful that it could win control of the West Bank in new elections. “Hot air,” said Mouin Rabbani, an expert on Palestinian politics, describing what he thought the end result of Abbas’ unity and elections bid would be. Difficult as it may be to believe now, Abbas was quite optimistic about the Trump administration in its first few months, when the new president surprised many in the region by expressing interest in settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all. But those hopes were quickly dashed, and the administration’s treatment of the Palestinians became a growing nightmare of aid cuts, affronts and insults. Upending long-standing U.S. positions on Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, settlements and other highly contentious aspects of the conflict, the administration seemed to go out of its way to take Israel’s side and undercut the Palestinians — infuriating Abbas, weakening his authority and isolating him diplomatically. But even if Biden is elected, it will be difficult to undo much of what Trump has done. Allowing the reopening of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s diplomatic mission in Washington or restoring much of the aid to projects that directly benefited the Palestinian Authority would require Biden to overcome a number of legal obstacles, some of which might require congressional approval. And reestablishing the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, which until 2019 functioned as the U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians, would require Israel’s permission — something it may not be too quick to grant in a city that Trump himself formally recognized as Israel’s capital. “These are all possible, but they would require heavy political lifting,” said Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and an expert on the role of Congress in the region. What Abbas may wish for most — that Biden would prioritize the Palestinian cause, pressure Israel to make concessions and even move the U.S. Embassy back to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem — seems highly unlikely at best. Biden has made clear he has many higher priorities, beginning with the coronavirus pandemic. He has signaled that he does not want to clash with the Israeli government. “The idea that everything will go back to the way it was before is somewhat of a fairy tale,” Rabbani said. None of Abbas’ would-be successors are articulating a bold change in strategy either. But such ideas do exist outside of the Palestinian leadership. Some Palestinians support renewed efforts to revive negotiations with Israel. Others want the Palestinian Authority to dissolve itself, forcing Israel to take responsibility for their lives and absorb the heavy financial and societal costs of a full-blown, direct military occupation, even in densely populated West Bank cities where Palestinians now generally govern themselves. And fully 26% of Palestinians in the West Bank, according to a new poll, favor a return to an armed struggle against Israel. A smaller but growing number of activists have tried to build interest in a peaceful protest movement. Still, with Israeli politics moving rightward, many on the West Bank see little reason for optimism. Khalil al-Arda, 52, a member of the municipal council in the village of Arraba, near Jenin, said he feared the status quo would never improve. “I feel like we’re in a very dark tunnel with no light at the end,” he said.

Palestinian leaders are banking on Biden win next week

With less than a week before Election Day, President Donald Trump held an in-person campaign rally in Goodyear, Arizona, on Wednesday (October 28) despite a U.S. surge in COVID-19 cases and criticism he is prioritizing his re-election above the health of his supporters.

Trump predicts no Thanksgiving if Biden wins, at rally in Arizona

A research group has revealed that the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election</a> of the year 2020 will be one of the most expensive elections in the history of American politics as the total expenditure can reach $14 billion approximately.

The Center for Responsive Politics has revealed that this election cycle is one of the most expensive elections and it is already twice as expensive as the 2016 elections which saw <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and Hillary Clinton rally against each other.

As per the study, the Democrat candidate and former Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;will be the first contestant to raise nearly (or more than) $1 billion from his donors. Biden's campaign raised a record-breaking figure of $938 million through October 14, whereas Trump's campaign managed to raise $596 million.

"Even amid a pandemic, everyone is giving more in 2020, from ordinary individuals making small donations to billionaires cutting eight-figure checks to super PACs."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-joe-biden-and-wife-jill-biden-cast-early-vote-in-wilmington-days-before-us-election-338663">Also read|&nbsp;Joe Biden and wife, Jill Biden, cast early vote in Wilmington days before US Election</a>

"Women are smashing donation records, and Americans are increasingly donating to candidates who aren't running for office in their state," it said in a statement.

The Center for Responsive Politics has claimed that an "extraordinary influx" of political donations in the final months has&nbsp;pushed the total spending&nbsp;in the elections well past the earlier estimated figure of $11 billion. The shift is being assumed to be a result of&nbsp;the Supreme Court battle and closely watched races for the White House and Senate.

Spendings this year will be more than the expenditure incurred in the last two elections combined, which is not something that the experts would have expected due to the pandemic. "Donors poured record amounts of money into the 2018 midterms, and 2020 appears to be a continuation of that trend - but magnified," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.

"Ten years ago, a billion-dollar presidential candidate would have been difficult to imagine. This cycle, we're likely to see two," Krumholz said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-american-voters-make-history-more-than-70-million-cast-ballots-338468">Also read|&nbsp;US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots</a>

A majority of the spendings have come from wealthy national groups, and have majorly funded Biden instead of the current President Donald Trump.&nbsp;In the month of October alone, outside spending by super PACs and other big-money groups totalled nearly $1.2 billion.

"Their money machine is more powerful than ever in 2020," the Center said.

It is not just the wealthy groups that have donated money this election, the small-size groups have donated more this election cycle when compared to the other years. Joe Biden got donations of nearly $1.7 billion whereas the Republicans gained $1 billion from small groups. Overall, small donors account for 22 per cent of the money raised in the 2020 cycle. These individual donors giving USD 200 or less only accounted for 15 per cent of the money raised in the 2016 election.

In an interesting observation, more than 1.5 million women have donated to federal committees driving an increase of 37 per cent from the 2016 election — accounting for a total of 44 per cent of all donors.

The study also revealed that the Trump administration has failed to keep their old supporters in their corner as the majority of the leading industries have shifted over to Democrats' side, except fpr real estate which still favours Trump over Biden.&nbsp;

A research group has revealed that the upcoming US election of the year 2020 will be one of the most expensive elections in the history of American politics as the total expenditure can reach $14 billion approximately.

A research group has revealed that the upcoming US election of the year 2020 will be one of the most expensive elections in the history of American politics as the total expenditure can reach $14 billion approximately. The Center for Responsive Politics has revealed that this election cycle is one of the most expensive elections and it is already twice as expensive as the 2016 elections which saw Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton rally against each other. As per the study, the Democrat candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden will be the first contestant to raise nearly (or more than) $1 billion from his donors. Biden's campaign raised a record-breaking figure of $938 million through October 14, whereas Trump's campaign managed to raise $596 million. "Even amid a pandemic, everyone is giving more in 2020, from ordinary individuals making small donations to billionaires cutting eight-figure checks to super PACs." Also read| Joe Biden and wife, Jill Biden, cast early vote in Wilmington days before US Election "Women are smashing donation records, and Americans are increasingly donating to candidates who aren't running for office in their state," it said in a statement. The Center for Responsive Politics has claimed that an "extraordinary influx" of political donations in the final months has pushed the total spending in the elections well past the earlier estimated figure of $11 billion. The shift is being assumed to be a result of the Supreme Court battle and closely watched races for the White House and Senate. Spendings this year will be more than the expenditure incurred in the last two elections combined, which is not something that the experts would have expected due to the pandemic. "Donors poured record amounts of money into the 2018 midterms, and 2020 appears to be a continuation of that trend - but magnified," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics. "Ten years ago, a billion-dollar presidential candidate would have been difficult to imagine. This cycle, we're likely to see two," Krumholz said. Also read| US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots A majority of the spendings have come from wealthy national groups, and have majorly funded Biden instead of the current President Donald Trump. In the month of October alone, outside spending by super PACs and other big-money groups totalled nearly $1.2 billion. "Their money machine is more powerful than ever in 2020," the Center said. It is not just the wealthy groups that have donated money this election, the small-size groups have donated more this election cycle when compared to the other years. Joe Biden got donations of nearly $1.7 billion whereas the Republicans gained $1 billion from small groups. Overall, small donors account for 22 per cent of the money raised in the 2020 cycle. These individual donors giving USD 200 or less only accounted for 15 per cent of the money raised in the 2016 election. In an interesting observation, more than 1.5 million women have donated to federal committees driving an increase of 37 per cent from the 2016 election — accounting for a total of 44 per cent of all donors. The study also revealed that the Trump administration has failed to keep their old supporters in their corner as the majority of the leading industries have shifted over to Democrats' side, except fpr real estate which still favours Trump over Biden.

US election 2020 the most expensive in American history: Study

Several polls and studies have tried to predict the winner of the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election 2020</a>, which are to be held on November 03. While some are studying the shift in the political environment in several <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-vs-joe-biden-swing-states-and-their-role-in-us-election-2020-338559">swing states</a>, some are turning towards astrologers for answers.

Several organisations are now conducting independent polls to predict the next President of the United States. And as per a poll conducted by the American media house, CNN, the Democrat candidate and former Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;is still the frontrunner against the Republican candidate and current President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

The poll revealed that among the registered voters and the participants,&nbsp;54 per cent back Biden and 42 per cent Trump,&nbsp;matching several other opinion polls and predictions made by different organisations and individuals.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-joe-biden-and-wife-jill-biden-cast-early-vote-in-wilmington-days-before-us-election-338663">Also read|&nbsp;Joe Biden and wife, Jill Biden, cast early vote in Wilmington days before US Election</a>

This poll was conducted by CNN with&nbsp;SSRS, an independent research company. In this poll, nearly 1,005 American voters were approached and questioned between October 23-26, 2020. The interviews were conducted through telephone.

As per the results, among those who have voted,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;leads by&nbsp;64 per cent to 34 per cent votes for&nbsp;Trump. The category of people who were yet to vote, at the time of being interviewed, also favoured Biden&nbsp;with 63 per cent lead&nbsp;and Trump lagging behind with 33 per cent.

However, a shift in results is seen in the category of the voters who plan to vote on November 03 with Trump leading with&nbsp;59 per cent, and&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;securing only 36 per cent voters' attention.

When the voter category is shifted to demographics of women versus men, women are still preferring the Democrats by 61 per cent and only&nbsp;37 per cent women supporting Republicans — with women of colour favouring Biden by 77 per cent and 54&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;white women also giving votes to Biden.&nbsp;Men, on the other hand, have a very small difference between the two leaders with Trump leading the race with 48 per cent and Biden matching up with 47 per cent — with men of colour giving a lead to&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;by&nbsp;64 per cent but white men favouring&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;with 56 per cent.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-american-voters-make-history-more-than-70-million-cast-ballots-338468">Also read|&nbsp;US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots</a>

Another interesting observation made in this poll has been that American voters with college degrees, and higher, are favouring&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;whereas people without degrees are split evenly. Similarly,&nbsp;49 per cent white women without college degrees&nbsp;favour Biden and same with&nbsp;Trump.

Nearly 48 per cent of&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;supporters have also revealed that their vote is mainly a vote against the current President rather than a vote in favour of&nbsp;Joe Biden.&nbsp;On the other hand,&nbsp;79 per cent&nbsp;trump&nbsp;supporters have said their vote is in favour of the President rather than against his rival.

Overall,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;is still leading the polls for the upcoming US election 2020, but&nbsp;Trump,&nbsp;too, can gain the lead if the political environment in the country keeps shifting. The final result of the elections will be revealed a little later than the estimated time period due to the majority votes being cast by mail-in.&nbsp;

Several polls and studies have tried to predict the winner of the upcoming US election 2020, which are to be held on November 03. While some are studying the shift in the political environment in several swing states, some are turning towards astrologers for answers.

Several polls and studies have tried to predict the winner of the upcoming US election 2020, which are to be held on November 03. While some are studying the shift in the political environment in several swing states, some are turning towards astrologers for answers. Several organisations are now conducting independent polls to predict the next President of the United States. And as per a poll conducted by the American media house, CNN, the Democrat candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden is still the frontrunner against the Republican candidate and current President Donald Trump. The poll revealed that among the registered voters and the participants, 54 per cent back Biden and 42 per cent Trump, matching several other opinion polls and predictions made by different organisations and individuals. Also read| Joe Biden and wife, Jill Biden, cast early vote in Wilmington days before US Election This poll was conducted by CNN with SSRS, an independent research company. In this poll, nearly 1,005 American voters were approached and questioned between October 23-26, 2020. The interviews were conducted through telephone. As per the results, among those who have voted, Biden leads by 64 per cent to 34 per cent votes for Trump. The category of people who were yet to vote, at the time of being interviewed, also favoured Biden with 63 per cent lead and Trump lagging behind with 33 per cent. However, a shift in results is seen in the category of the voters who plan to vote on November 03 with Trump leading with 59 per cent, and Biden securing only 36 per cent voters' attention. When the voter category is shifted to demographics of women versus men, women are still preferring the Democrats by 61 per cent and only 37 per cent women supporting Republicans — with women of colour favouring Biden by 77 per cent and 54 per cent white women also giving votes to Biden. Men, on the other hand, have a very small difference between the two leaders with Trump leading the race with 48 per cent and Biden matching up with 47 per cent — with men of colour giving a lead to Biden by 64 per cent but white men favouring Trump with 56 per cent. Also read| US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots Another interesting observation made in this poll has been that American voters with college degrees, and higher, are favouring Biden whereas people without degrees are split evenly. Similarly, 49 per cent white women without college degrees favour Biden and same with Trump. Nearly 48 per cent of Biden supporters have also revealed that their vote is mainly a vote against the current President rather than a vote in favour of Joe Biden. On the other hand, 79 per cent trump supporters have said their vote is in favour of the President rather than against his rival. Overall, Biden is still leading the polls for the upcoming US election 2020, but Trump, too, can gain the lead if the political environment in the country keeps shifting. The final result of the elections will be revealed a little later than the estimated time period due to the majority votes being cast by mail-in.

Joe Biden leading in US Election 2020 against Donald Trump: Survey

In a lightning-fast senate approval, Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed to the Supreme Court. Handing a pre-poll SCOTUS victory to Donald Trump. For the first time in 151 years, a justice got confirmed without a single support from minority party. What next?

Amy Coney Barrett joins the Supreme Court | U.S. Election 2020 New York Direct

WASHINGTON —While senior Trump administration officials said this week that Iran has been actively interfering in the presidential election, many intelligence officials said they remained far more concerned about Russia, which in recent days has hacked into state and local computer networks in breaches that could allow Moscow broader access to U.S. voting infrastructure.

The discovery of the hacks came as U.S. intelligence agencies, infiltrating Russian networks themselves, have pieced together details of what they believe are Russia’s plans to interfere in the presidential race in its final days or immediately after the election Nov. 3. Officials did not make clear what Russia planned to do, but they said its operations would be intended to help President Donald Trump, potentially by exacerbating disputes around the results, especially if the race is too close to call.

FBI and Homeland Security officials also announced Thursday that Russia’s state hackers had targeted dozens of state and local governments and aviation networks starting in September. They stole data from at least two unidentified victims’ computer servers and continued to crawl through some of the affected networks, the agencies said. Other officials said that the targets included some voting-related systems and that they may have been collateral damage in the attacks.

So far, there is no evidence that the Russians have changed any vote tallies or voter registration information, officials said. They added that the Russian-backed hackers had penetrated the computer networks without taking further action, as they did in 2016. But U.S. officials expect that if the presidential race is not called on election night, Russian groups could use their knowledge of the local computer systems to deface websites, release nonpublic information or take similar steps that could sow chaos and doubts about the integrity of the results, according to U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence. Such steps could fuel Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the vote is “rigged” and that he can be defeated only if his opponents cheat.

Some U.S. intelligence officials view Russia’s intentions as more significant than the announcement Wednesday night by the director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, that Iran has been involved in the spreading of faked, threatening emails, which were made to appear as if they came from the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group.

The Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against Iraj Masjedi, a former general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the country’s ambassador to Iraq. The department said Masjedi had overseen training of pro-Iranian militia groups in Iraq and directed groups responsible for killing U.S. forces there.

Officials briefed on the intelligence said that Ratcliffe had accurately summarized the preliminary conclusion about Iran. But Iran’s hackers may have accomplished that mission simply by assembling public information and then routing the threatening emails through Saudi Arabia, Estonia and other countries to hide their tracks. One official compared the Iranian action to playing single A baseball, while the Russians are major leaguers.

Nonetheless, the Iranian and the Russian activity could pave the way for “perception hacks,” which are intended to leave the impression that foreign powers have greater access to the voting system than they really do. Federal officials have warned for months that small breaches could be exaggerated to prompt inaccurate charges of widespread voter fraud.

Officials say Russia’s ability to change vote tallies nationwide would be difficult, given how disparate U.S. elections are. The graver concern is the potential effect of any attack on a few key precincts in battleground states.

Russian hackers recently obtained access “in a couple limited cases, to election jurisdiction, an election-related network,” Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said Thursday. But he was careful to note that the breaches had “nothing to do with the casting and counting” of votes.

The hackers believed to be operating at the behest of Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB — the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB — have infiltrated dozens of state and local computer networks in recent weeks, according to officials and researchers. But Krebs said the attacks appeared to be “opportunistic” in nature, a scattershot break-in of vulnerable systems rather than an attempt to zero in on key battleground states.

But officials were alarmed by the combination of the targets, the timing — the attacks began less than two months ago — and the adversary, which is known for burrowing inside the supply chain of critical infrastructure that Russia may want to take down in the future.

The officials fear that Russia could change, delete or freeze voter registration or pollbook data, making it harder for voters to cast ballots, invalidating mail-in ballots or creating enough uncertainty to undermine results.

“It’s reasonable to assume any attempt at the election systems could be for the same purpose,” said John Hultquist, director of threat analysis at FireEye, a security firm that has been tracking the Russian group’s foray into state and local systems. “This could be the reconnaissance for disruptive activity.”

Krebs said so far Russia was not as active as Iran, and its targeting was imprecise. “They’re broadly looking to scan for vulnerabilities, and they’re working opportunistically,” he said.

Current and former officials said there was little doubt that Russia remained a greater threat and questioned why the focus was on Iran on Wednesday, though they acknowledged that Iran’s interference was real and troubling.

Administration officials said the news conference reflected the urgency of the intelligence about Iran. But some saw politics at play. Ratcliffe’s focus on Iran would potentially benefit Trump politically.

“It is concerning to me that the administration is willing to talk about what the Iranians are doing — supposedly to hurt Trump — than what the Russians are likely doing to help him,” said Jeh Johnson, a former secretary of homeland security in the Obama administration. “If the Russians have in fact breached voter registration data, then the American people deserve to know from their government what it believes the Russians are doing with that data.”

A senior official briefed on the intelligence said U.S. spy agencies had been tracking the Iranian group responsible for the spoofed emails for some time. As a result, the government was able to quickly debunk the falsified Proud Boys emails and identify Iran as the culprit.

Iran’s hackers appear to have scanned or penetrated some state and local networks, government officials said Thursday. But security experts said the Proud Boys email campaign that the government attributed to Iran did not appear to be based on hacked materials and instead relied on publicly available information that Florida officials regularly distribute.

“This was an email sent from a nonexistent domain using publicly available information,” said Kevin O’Brien, chief executive of GreatHorn, a cybersecurity firm. “There was no hack here. Your name, your party affiliation, your address and email address are all, generally speaking, public information.”

O’Brien said the information presented publicly had not persuaded him that Iran was culpable.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi also voiced scepticism of Ratcliffe’s announcement. “Russia is the villain here,” she said before a briefing from intelligence officials. “From what we have seen in the public domain, Iran is a bad actor but in no way equivalent.”

So far, the FSB’s hackers have not zeroed in on swing states, where a hack that affects digital disenfranchisement could have maximum effect; they have taken a scattershot approach instead, hitting systems in multiple states, including some battlegrounds. Experts said they might be just testing to see where they could get in, like a thief trying every doorknob in the neighborhood.

“My concern is not that they are pinpointing individual races but are gaining access where they can for some disruption down the road,” Hultquist said.

The threat is similar to the one that officials have highlighted from ransomware attacks, which hold data hostage until victims pay to have access restored. Likewise, officials and researchers believe the Russian attacks would not necessarily change vote tallies but could make voter data inaccessible or delete or change voters’ registration data to disenfranchise voters or cause the kind of confusion and delays that would undermine U.S. confidence in the election.

In recent years, Homeland Security officials have made a concerted effort to secure voter registration systems and to ensure that election officials have paper copies of voter information in case of disruptions.

But they have further to go. In Gainesville, Georgia, this week, a ransomware attack held city systems hostage, including an online map with polling locations and the database used to verify voters’ signatures on mail-in ballots.

Officials and experts believe the greatest defense against a coordinated cyberattack on the election is not so much how secure these voting system are but how disparate.

“You can’t just ‘hit the election,’” said Eric Chien, a cybersecurity director at Symantec, now part of Broadcom, which was among the first to detail the Stuxnet attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear program a decade ago. “The soft targets are really the state and local election committees, local websites that provide information about polling places and hold voter registration data.”

&nbsp;

WASHINGTON —While senior Trump administration officials said this week that Iran has been actively interfering in the presidential election, many intelligence officials said they remained far more concerned about Russia, which in recent days has hacked into state and local computer networks in breaches that could allow Moscow broader access to U.

WASHINGTON —While senior Trump administration officials said this week that Iran has been actively interfering in the presidential election, many intelligence officials said they remained far more concerned about Russia, which in recent days has hacked into state and local computer networks in breaches that could allow Moscow broader access to U.S. voting infrastructure. The discovery of the hacks came as U.S. intelligence agencies, infiltrating Russian networks themselves, have pieced together details of what they believe are Russia’s plans to interfere in the presidential race in its final days or immediately after the election Nov. 3. Officials did not make clear what Russia planned to do, but they said its operations would be intended to help President Donald Trump, potentially by exacerbating disputes around the results, especially if the race is too close to call. FBI and Homeland Security officials also announced Thursday that Russia’s state hackers had targeted dozens of state and local governments and aviation networks starting in September. They stole data from at least two unidentified victims’ computer servers and continued to crawl through some of the affected networks, the agencies said. Other officials said that the targets included some voting-related systems and that they may have been collateral damage in the attacks. So far, there is no evidence that the Russians have changed any vote tallies or voter registration information, officials said. They added that the Russian-backed hackers had penetrated the computer networks without taking further action, as they did in 2016. But U.S. officials expect that if the presidential race is not called on election night, Russian groups could use their knowledge of the local computer systems to deface websites, release nonpublic information or take similar steps that could sow chaos and doubts about the integrity of the results, according to U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence. Such steps could fuel Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the vote is “rigged” and that he can be defeated only if his opponents cheat. Some U.S. intelligence officials view Russia’s intentions as more significant than the announcement Wednesday night by the director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, that Iran has been involved in the spreading of faked, threatening emails, which were made to appear as if they came from the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group. The Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against Iraj Masjedi, a former general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the country’s ambassador to Iraq. The department said Masjedi had overseen training of pro-Iranian militia groups in Iraq and directed groups responsible for killing U.S. forces there. Officials briefed on the intelligence said that Ratcliffe had accurately summarized the preliminary conclusion about Iran. But Iran’s hackers may have accomplished that mission simply by assembling public information and then routing the threatening emails through Saudi Arabia, Estonia and other countries to hide their tracks. One official compared the Iranian action to playing single A baseball, while the Russians are major leaguers. Nonetheless, the Iranian and the Russian activity could pave the way for “perception hacks,” which are intended to leave the impression that foreign powers have greater access to the voting system than they really do. Federal officials have warned for months that small breaches could be exaggerated to prompt inaccurate charges of widespread voter fraud. Officials say Russia’s ability to change vote tallies nationwide would be difficult, given how disparate U.S. elections are. The graver concern is the potential effect of any attack on a few key precincts in battleground states. Russian hackers recently obtained access “in a couple limited cases, to election jurisdiction, an election-related network,” Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said Thursday. But he was careful to note that the breaches had “nothing to do with the casting and counting” of votes. The hackers believed to be operating at the behest of Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB — the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB — have infiltrated dozens of state and local computer networks in recent weeks, according to officials and researchers. But Krebs said the attacks appeared to be “opportunistic” in nature, a scattershot break-in of vulnerable systems rather than an attempt to zero in on key battleground states. But officials were alarmed by the combination of the targets, the timing — the attacks began less than two months ago — and the adversary, which is known for burrowing inside the supply chain of critical infrastructure that Russia may want to take down in the future. The officials fear that Russia could change, delete or freeze voter registration or pollbook data, making it harder for voters to cast ballots, invalidating mail-in ballots or creating enough uncertainty to undermine results. “It’s reasonable to assume any attempt at the election systems could be for the same purpose,” said John Hultquist, director of threat analysis at FireEye, a security firm that has been tracking the Russian group’s foray into state and local systems. “This could be the reconnaissance for disruptive activity.” Krebs said so far Russia was not as active as Iran, and its targeting was imprecise. “They’re broadly looking to scan for vulnerabilities, and they’re working opportunistically,” he said. Current and former officials said there was little doubt that Russia remained a greater threat and questioned why the focus was on Iran on Wednesday, though they acknowledged that Iran’s interference was real and troubling. Administration officials said the news conference reflected the urgency of the intelligence about Iran. But some saw politics at play. Ratcliffe’s focus on Iran would potentially benefit Trump politically. “It is concerning to me that the administration is willing to talk about what the Iranians are doing — supposedly to hurt Trump — than what the Russians are likely doing to help him,” said Jeh Johnson, a former secretary of homeland security in the Obama administration. “If the Russians have in fact breached voter registration data, then the American people deserve to know from their government what it believes the Russians are doing with that data.” A senior official briefed on the intelligence said U.S. spy agencies had been tracking the Iranian group responsible for the spoofed emails for some time. As a result, the government was able to quickly debunk the falsified Proud Boys emails and identify Iran as the culprit. Iran’s hackers appear to have scanned or penetrated some state and local networks, government officials said Thursday. But security experts said the Proud Boys email campaign that the government attributed to Iran did not appear to be based on hacked materials and instead relied on publicly available information that Florida officials regularly distribute. “This was an email sent from a nonexistent domain using publicly available information,” said Kevin O’Brien, chief executive of GreatHorn, a cybersecurity firm. “There was no hack here. Your name, your party affiliation, your address and email address are all, generally speaking, public information.” O’Brien said the information presented publicly had not persuaded him that Iran was culpable. Speaker Nancy Pelosi also voiced scepticism of Ratcliffe’s announcement. “Russia is the villain here,” she said before a briefing from intelligence officials. “From what we have seen in the public domain, Iran is a bad actor but in no way equivalent.” So far, the FSB’s hackers have not zeroed in on swing states, where a hack that affects digital disenfranchisement could have maximum effect; they have taken a scattershot approach instead, hitting systems in multiple states, including some battlegrounds. Experts said they might be just testing to see where they could get in, like a thief trying every doorknob in the neighborhood. “My concern is not that they are pinpointing individual races but are gaining access where they can for some disruption down the road,” Hultquist said. The threat is similar to the one that officials have highlighted from ransomware attacks, which hold data hostage until victims pay to have access restored. Likewise, officials and researchers believe the Russian attacks would not necessarily change vote tallies but could make voter data inaccessible or delete or change voters’ registration data to disenfranchise voters or cause the kind of confusion and delays that would undermine U.S. confidence in the election. In recent years, Homeland Security officials have made a concerted effort to secure voter registration systems and to ensure that election officials have paper copies of voter information in case of disruptions. But they have further to go. In Gainesville, Georgia, this week, a ransomware attack held city systems hostage, including an online map with polling locations and the database used to verify voters’ signatures on mail-in ballots. Officials and experts believe the greatest defense against a coordinated cyberattack on the election is not so much how secure these voting system are but how disparate. “You can’t just ‘hit the election,’” said Eric Chien, a cybersecurity director at Symantec, now part of Broadcom, which was among the first to detail the Stuxnet attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear program a decade ago. “The soft targets are really the state and local election committees, local websites that provide information about polling places and hold voter registration data.”

Russia poses greater election threat than Iran, many US officials say

With less than a week to go for the final showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the US election 2020, it appears that voters who have voted early are trying to change their minds.

More than 60 million Americans have cast ballots in the US&nbsp;presidential election, a record-breaking pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century, according to data from the US&nbsp;Elections Project.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-how-are-votes-counted-in-the-presidential-election-335422" hreflang="en">US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election?</a>

Apparently, there was a spike in&nbsp;'can I change my vote', and Trump believes that this means that the trend refers to him.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1321042229838909441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Reportedly, the trend skyrocketed after the final presidential debate and has been going up steadily ever since.

A media professor at the University of New Mexico, Nick Flor posted his analysis about it.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BTW, did you hear that "Can I change my vote" is trending as a search term on Google? ROFL! 
 
Started peaking right after the final debate / Hunter Biden controversy. This is why social media is trying so hard to censor.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoxAndFriends?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoxAndFriends</a> 
 
The answer is yes:<a href="https://t.co/xrQwOeoOAU">https://t.co/xrQwOeoOAU</a> <a href="https://t.co/qZA3tPmK3u">pic.twitter.com/qZA3tPmK3u</a>
— Nick Flor-ProfessorF (@ProfessorF) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProfessorF/status/1321042252982972416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

However, he later said that this happens in every US election and is not something that has occurred for the first time.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LOL, no it is not EVERY election this happens — contrary to what the correct-the-record mob is frantically trying to post. 
 
And this is the highest level ever for "Can I change my vote" (dashes indicate still climbing, see below) <a href="https://t.co/uOC9TdVmHZ">pic.twitter.com/uOC9TdVmHZ</a>
— Nick Flor-ProfessorF (@ProfessorF) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProfessorF/status/1321045284613361664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Consumer confidence dropped sharply in October in three US&nbsp;states considered crucial for Republican President Donald Trump's re-election&nbsp;as fears about the economy's outlook mounted, according to a survey on Tuesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-with-a-week-to-go-heres-what-is-abuzz-338402" hreflang="en">US election 2020: With a week to go, here's what is abuzz</a>

The Conference Board's findings came ahead of next Tuesday's fiercely contested battle for the White House between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Trump is trailing the former vice president in national opinion polls.

Consumer confidence in Florida dropped to a reading of 100.3 this month from 114.4 in September. Though confidence has rebounded after slumping as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the state, it is near levels seen just before the 2016&nbsp;election.

In Pennsylvania, consumer confidence tumbled to a reading of 92.0 from 115.5 in September. Consumer confidence in Michigan fell to 119.2 in October from a reading of 124.1 in the prior month. Confidence in the three swing states was dragged by declines in consumers' expectations.

"The numbers can be choppy, but this does not bode well for Donald Trump's chances of re-election&nbsp;and with incomes being squeezed and COVID-19 cases on the rise, neither for the economy," said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York.

Consumer confidence also fell in Ohio and Illinois and Texas this month but edged up in New York and California.

As result, overall consumer confidence dipped to a reading of 100.9 in October from 101.3 in September.

"There is little to suggest that consumers foresee the economy gaining momentum in the final months of 2020, especially with COVID-19 cases on the rise and unemployment still high," said Lynn Franco, senior director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board.

&nbsp;

With less than a week to go for the final showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the US election 2020, it appears that voters who have voted early are trying to change their minds.

With less than a week to go for the final showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the US election 2020, it appears that voters who have voted early are trying to change their minds. More than 60 million Americans have cast ballots in the US presidential election, a record-breaking pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century, according to data from the US Elections Project. Also read: US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election? Apparently, there was a spike in 'can I change my vote', and Trump believes that this means that the trend refers to him. Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2020 × Reportedly, the trend skyrocketed after the final presidential debate and has been going up steadily ever since. A media professor at the University of New Mexico, Nick Flor posted his analysis about it. BTW, did you hear that "Can I change my vote" is trending as a search term on Google? ROFL! Started peaking right after the final debate / Hunter Biden controversy. This is why social media is trying so hard to censor.#FoxAndFriends The answer is yes:https://t.co/xrQwOeoOAU pic.twitter.com/qZA3tPmK3u — Nick Flor-ProfessorF (@ProfessorF) October 27, 2020 × However, he later said that this happens in every US election and is not something that has occurred for the first time. LOL, no it is not EVERY election this happens — contrary to what the correct-the-record mob is frantically trying to post. And this is the highest level ever for "Can I change my vote" (dashes indicate still climbing, see below) pic.twitter.com/uOC9TdVmHZ — Nick Flor-ProfessorF (@ProfessorF) October 27, 2020 × Consumer confidence dropped sharply in October in three US states considered crucial for Republican President Donald Trump's re-election as fears about the economy's outlook mounted, according to a survey on Tuesday. Also read: US election 2020: With a week to go, here's what is abuzz The Conference Board's findings came ahead of next Tuesday's fiercely contested battle for the White House between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Trump is trailing the former vice president in national opinion polls. Consumer confidence in Florida dropped to a reading of 100.3 this month from 114.4 in September. Though confidence has rebounded after slumping as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the state, it is near levels seen just before the 2016 election. In Pennsylvania, consumer confidence tumbled to a reading of 92.0 from 115.5 in September. Consumer confidence in Michigan fell to 119.2 in October from a reading of 124.1 in the prior month. Confidence in the three swing states was dragged by declines in consumers' expectations. "The numbers can be choppy, but this does not bode well for Donald Trump's chances of re-election and with incomes being squeezed and COVID-19 cases on the rise, neither for the economy," said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York. Consumer confidence also fell in Ohio and Illinois and Texas this month but edged up in New York and California. As result, overall consumer confidence dipped to a reading of 100.9 in October from 101.3 in September. "There is little to suggest that consumers foresee the economy gaining momentum in the final months of 2020, especially with COVID-19 cases on the rise and unemployment still high," said Lynn Franco, senior director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board.

US election 2020: Surge in 'can I change my vote'; Donald Trump says trend refers to him

As the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US elections</a> near, the two leaders — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> — have now kickstarted their last leg of campaigning. On Tuesday, Biden&nbsp;held a drive-in rally to make sure there is no spread of the novel coronavirus — an issue he grilled&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on, yet again.

Biden, on Tuesday, accused the current US President of surrendering in front of a pandemic. The rally, that took place in the&nbsp;Republican stronghold of Georgia, saw the attendance of&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;fans in the Democrat minority area.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-with-a-week-to-go-heres-what-is-abuzz-338402">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: With a week to go, here's what is abuzz</a>

During the rally, Biden stressed on the statement made by&nbsp;Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows at the weekend that "we're not going to control the pandemic." Further, he claimed the White Houe's efforts to control the pandemic&nbsp;as&nbsp;"a capitulation"&nbsp;that White House and the Trump administration "never really tried" to halt a pandemic which has now killed more than 226,000 Americans.

Biden claimed that the President,&nbsp;"shrugged, he swaggered and he surrendered"instead of fighting the pandemic and helping fellow Americans get a healthy aid during this deadly virus outbreak. Promising that he can control the virus, unlike&nbsp;Trump, the Democratic candidate said,&nbsp;"I'm here to tell you: We can and we will control this virus".

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/campaigning-for-us-presidential-election-enters-final-week-338396">Also read|&nbsp;Campaigning for US presidential election enters final week</a>

He also showed confidence in his voters on Georgia and urged them to get out and vote.&nbsp;"We win Georgia, we win everything!" Biden said. "These are the final days, so keep that sense of empowerment with you, that sense of optimism."

Biden&nbsp;also got help fort he former US President&nbsp;Barack Obama&nbsp;who motivated the voters to voter for the "right candidate" saying,&nbsp;"One week until the most important election in our lifetimes," Obama said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two years ago, a white supremacist entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue and perpetrated the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history. May the memories of those we lost be a blessing — and may we never stop fighting the scourges of anti-Semitism and gun violence.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1321255611795951618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"We were complacent last time. Folks got a little lazy, folks took things for granted, and look what happened," Obama said.&nbsp;"Not this time. Let's bring it home."

Meanwhile, Trump&nbsp;was also seen campaigning in a mask-less crowd with almost zero social distancing in an open-air space in Michigan and Wisconsin.&nbsp;"I've got to say I'm working my ass off here!," he told a massive crowd of supporters wearing 'MAGA'caps.

The First Lady, Melania Trump, too, finally joined her husband's campaign and calling him a "fighter", she said,&nbsp;"I do not always agree with the way he says things. But it is important to him that he speaks directly to the people he serves."

As the US elections near, the two leaders — Donald Trump and Joe Biden — have now kickstarted their last leg of campaigning. On Tuesday, Biden held a drive-in rally to make sure there is no spread of the novel coronavirus — an issue he grilled Trump on, yet again.

As the US elections near, the two leaders — Donald Trump and Joe Biden — have now kickstarted their last leg of campaigning. On Tuesday, Biden held a drive-in rally to make sure there is no spread of the novel coronavirus — an issue he grilled Trump on, yet again. Biden, on Tuesday, accused the current US President of surrendering in front of a pandemic. The rally, that took place in the Republican stronghold of Georgia, saw the attendance of Biden fans in the Democrat minority area. Also read| US election 2020: With a week to go, here's what is abuzz During the rally, Biden stressed on the statement made by Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows at the weekend that "we're not going to control the pandemic." Further, he claimed the White Houe's efforts to control the pandemic as "a capitulation" that White House and the Trump administration "never really tried" to halt a pandemic which has now killed more than 226,000 Americans. Biden claimed that the President, "shrugged, he swaggered and he surrendered"instead of fighting the pandemic and helping fellow Americans get a healthy aid during this deadly virus outbreak. Promising that he can control the virus, unlike Trump, the Democratic candidate said, "I'm here to tell you: We can and we will control this virus". Also read| Campaigning for US presidential election enters final week He also showed confidence in his voters on Georgia and urged them to get out and vote. "We win Georgia, we win everything!" Biden said. "These are the final days, so keep that sense of empowerment with you, that sense of optimism." Biden also got help fort he former US President Barack Obama who motivated the voters to voter for the "right candidate" saying, "One week until the most important election in our lifetimes," Obama said. Two years ago, a white supremacist entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue and perpetrated the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history. May the memories of those we lost be a blessing — and may we never stop fighting the scourges of anti-Semitism and gun violence. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 28, 2020 × "We were complacent last time. Folks got a little lazy, folks took things for granted, and look what happened," Obama said. "Not this time. Let's bring it home." Meanwhile, Trump was also seen campaigning in a mask-less crowd with almost zero social distancing in an open-air space in Michigan and Wisconsin. "I've got to say I'm working my ass off here!," he told a massive crowd of supporters wearing 'MAGA'caps. The First Lady, Melania Trump, too, finally joined her husband's campaign and calling him a "fighter", she said, "I do not always agree with the way he says things. But it is important to him that he speaks directly to the people he serves."

US Election 2020: Joe Biden slams Donald Trump on coronavirus blunder

US President Donald Trump’s campaign website on Tuesday was hacked by cryptocurrency scammers.

Trump campaign website broken into by hackers

With a week left for&nbsp;the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">&nbsp;US elections</a>,&nbsp;the two leaders — the current Republican candidate and President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and his Democrat rival and former Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;— have started the last eg of election campaigning and are also covering the states which hold a minority of their party support.

The American voters have created history with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-american-voters-make-history-more-than-70-million-cast-ballots-338468">more than 70 million voters casting ballot</a> a week before the November 03 elections — a number that could lead to the highest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century.&nbsp; As of now, the opinion polls are showing Joe Biden to be the frontrunner, but realistically speaking both the leaders have a fair chance of winning.

The United States has a total of 50 states out of which few hold more importance than the rest. These states are called "swing states" — also known as "battlegrounds" informally.&nbsp;In the elections this year, these states comprise of 15 major states. These result for these states cannot be determined as of now as the states work in a balance and can lead to either&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;or&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;winning the claim on the White House for the next four years.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-surge-in-can-i-change-my-vote-donald-trump-says-trend-refers-to-him-338447">Also read|&nbsp;Voters' remorse? Surge in 'can I change my vote' as US election nears</a>

The rest of the states are ones which have, in a way, already established their winner. Places such as&nbsp;New York and California are the areas where Trump&nbsp;cannot secure a win, while he can be crowned as undefeated in the Republican majority states such as&nbsp;Alabama or Oklahoma.

A swing states thi year is Arizona. The state has only voted for one Democrat — Bill Clinton&nbsp;(in 1996) — since 1952. In 2016,&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;won this state with a margin of four percent. However, the state has seen a radical shift in its political atmosphere since 2016, and thus&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;also has a chance of winning the state this year.

Colarodo and Florida are the next two swing states with Colarodo having elected three Republican candidates and three Democrats in the past six years. Last time in 2016,&nbsp;Hillary Clinton&nbsp;has won the state in opposition to the ultimate winner,&nbsp;Donald Trump.&nbsp;Florida, too, has been one of the most unpredictable states in the history of the US elections.&nbsp;Trump, in 2016, won the election by&nbsp;1.19 per cent and&nbsp;Barack Obama by&nbsp;0.88 per cent in 2012.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-joe-biden-slams-donald-trump-on-coronavirus-blunder-338432">Also read|&nbsp;US Election 2020: Joe Biden slams Donald Trump on coronavirus blunder</a>

Georgia is another state which has usually favoured Republicans but has also helped&nbsp;Bill Clinton&nbsp;back in 1992. The recet political scenario is taking a shift which can change the results in the upcoming elections.

States such as Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Minnesota,&nbsp;Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina&nbsp;have supported&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;in the past and will be critical in the upcoming elections as the voters have been tad bit undecided this year. Texas has been a Trump supporter for the last four years. However,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;has been putting in extra efforts to woo the Texas voters. However, Trump supporters have been vocal in upporting him this year too.

Each candidate's aim is to secure 270&nbsp;electoral votes, and each state's victory will put them a step closer to the swearing ceremony due in January 2021 at the White House.

The sudden shifts and the undecisive nature of the voters has been majorly due to the mail-in voting that has been adopted majorly by a lot of states this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The results of this year's elections can be delayed — a warning often highlighted by&nbsp;Trump.

With a week left for the US elections, the two leaders — the current Republican candidate and President Donald Trump and his Democrat rival and former Vice President Joe Biden — have started the last eg of election campaigning and are also covering the states which hold a minority of their party support.

With a week left for the US elections, the two leaders — the current Republican candidate and President Donald Trump and his Democrat rival and former Vice President Joe Biden — have started the last eg of election campaigning and are also covering the states which hold a minority of their party support. The American voters have created history with more than 70 million voters casting ballot a week before the November 03 elections — a number that could lead to the highest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century. As of now, the opinion polls are showing Joe Biden to be the frontrunner, but realistically speaking both the leaders have a fair chance of winning. The United States has a total of 50 states out of which few hold more importance than the rest. These states are called "swing states" — also known as "battlegrounds" informally. In the elections this year, these states comprise of 15 major states. These result for these states cannot be determined as of now as the states work in a balance and can lead to either Trump or Biden winning the claim on the White House for the next four years. Also read| Voters' remorse? Surge in 'can I change my vote' as US election nears The rest of the states are ones which have, in a way, already established their winner. Places such as New York and California are the areas where Trump cannot secure a win, while he can be crowned as undefeated in the Republican majority states such as Alabama or Oklahoma. A swing states thi year is Arizona. The state has only voted for one Democrat — Bill Clinton (in 1996) — since 1952. In 2016, Donald Trump won this state with a margin of four percent. However, the state has seen a radical shift in its political atmosphere since 2016, and thus Biden also has a chance of winning the state this year. Colarodo and Florida are the next two swing states with Colarodo having elected three Republican candidates and three Democrats in the past six years. Last time in 2016, Hillary Clinton has won the state in opposition to the ultimate winner, Donald Trump. Florida, too, has been one of the most unpredictable states in the history of the US elections. Trump, in 2016, won the election by 1.19 per cent and Barack Obama by 0.88 per cent in 2012. Also read| US Election 2020: Joe Biden slams Donald Trump on coronavirus blunder Georgia is another state which has usually favoured Republicans but has also helped Bill Clinton back in 1992. The recet political scenario is taking a shift which can change the results in the upcoming elections. States such as Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina have supported Biden in the past and will be critical in the upcoming elections as the voters have been tad bit undecided this year. Texas has been a Trump supporter for the last four years. However, Biden has been putting in extra efforts to woo the Texas voters. However, Trump supporters have been vocal in upporting him this year too. Each candidate's aim is to secure 270 electoral votes, and each state's victory will put them a step closer to the swearing ceremony due in January 2021 at the White House. The sudden shifts and the undecisive nature of the voters has been majorly due to the mail-in voting that has been adopted majorly by a lot of states this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The results of this year's elections can be delayed — a warning often highlighted by Trump.

Donald Trump vs Joe Biden: Swing states and their role in US Election 2020

Joe Biden holds 'drive-in' rally a week before US election 2020

As the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election"> US elections</a> inch closer to the November 03 deadline, the two leaders —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;— have fast-tracked their election campaigns and are urging more people to cast their votes.&nbsp;

Several Hollywood actors, sports legends and other celebrities, too, are encouraging Americans to opt for mail-in voting and/or go to the voting booth and cast their ballots marketing this to be one of the most important elections in the history of US politics.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/donald-trump-vs-joe-biden-which-celebrity-is-backing-whom-in-the-us-presidential-elections-333505">Also read|&nbsp;Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden: Which celebrity is backing whom in the US presidential elections</a>

With this push to the locals, the Americans have created history with more than 70 million Americans casting their vote in early voting, and the number is still increasing as the November 03 deadline inches closer.

According to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US&nbsp;Elections Project</a>, the tally of more than 70 million is half the total amount of the turnout from the 2016 election when&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;and Hillary Clinton&nbsp;campaigned against each other, with Clinton winning in opinion polls but losing in main elections.

As per the Tuesday tally, this record-breaking number — which is increasing with every passing hour — could lead to the highest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-surge-in-can-i-change-my-vote-donald-trump-says-trend-refers-to-him-338447">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: Surge in 'can I change my vote'; Donald Trump says trend refers to him</a>

This new number shows the newly-found interest of the American voters in the US election 2020, which could be due to the uprising caused by the 'Black Lives Matter' protests that crowded the streets of the US, or the rising death toll caused by the novel coronavirus — which Trump has been alleged to downplaying. This number also shows that people are trying to avoid the crowd on the election day (November 03) adopting to vote early to make sure they do not contract the deadly virus — which is expected to bring another surge with the onset of winters.

The opinion polls are showing Biden as the lead runner, as of now with more of Democrat supporters opting for mail-in voting — a system that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;has openly criticised and questioned repeatedly. As of now, Democrats hold a rough majority of&nbsp;two-to-one in the early voting numbers, with Republicans rapidly narrowing the gap with in-person voting in the last few weeks.

Observing the trend of early voting this year,&nbsp;Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project, is predicting the total turnout of the US elections to be nearly 150 million this year,&nbsp;representing 65% of those eligible to vote, the highest rate since 1908.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-election-2020-americans-are-breaking-early-voting-records-338422">Also watch|</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-election-2020-americans-are-breaking-early-voting-records-338422/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As the US elections inch closer to the November 03 deadline, the two leaders — Donald Trump and Joe Biden — have fast-tracked their election campaigns and are urging more people to cast their votes.

As the US elections inch closer to the November 03 deadline, the two leaders — Donald Trump and Joe Biden — have fast-tracked their election campaigns and are urging more people to cast their votes. Several Hollywood actors, sports legends and other celebrities, too, are encouraging Americans to opt for mail-in voting and/or go to the voting booth and cast their ballots marketing this to be one of the most important elections in the history of US politics. Also read| Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden: Which celebrity is backing whom in the US presidential elections With this push to the locals, the Americans have created history with more than 70 million Americans casting their vote in early voting, and the number is still increasing as the November 03 deadline inches closer. According to the US Elections Project, the tally of more than 70 million is half the total amount of the turnout from the 2016 election when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigned against each other, with Clinton winning in opinion polls but losing in main elections. As per the Tuesday tally, this record-breaking number — which is increasing with every passing hour — could lead to the highest voter turnout in percentage terms in more than a century. Also read| US election 2020: Surge in 'can I change my vote'; Donald Trump says trend refers to him This new number shows the newly-found interest of the American voters in the US election 2020, which could be due to the uprising caused by the 'Black Lives Matter' protests that crowded the streets of the US, or the rising death toll caused by the novel coronavirus — which Trump has been alleged to downplaying. This number also shows that people are trying to avoid the crowd on the election day (November 03) adopting to vote early to make sure they do not contract the deadly virus — which is expected to bring another surge with the onset of winters. The opinion polls are showing Biden as the lead runner, as of now with more of Democrat supporters opting for mail-in voting — a system that Trump has openly criticised and questioned repeatedly. As of now, Democrats hold a rough majority of two-to-one in the early voting numbers, with Republicans rapidly narrowing the gap with in-person voting in the last few weeks. Observing the trend of early voting this year, Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project, is predicting the total turnout of the US elections to be nearly 150 million this year, representing 65% of those eligible to vote, the highest rate since 1908. Also watch| ×

US Election 2020: American voters make history in early voting; more than 70 million cast ballots

With less than a week to go for the final showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the US election 2020,&nbsp;more than 70 million people have cast their&nbsp;ballots.

Raising worries about conceivable elector terrorising, Trump has been encouraging his allies to go the surveys and "watch cautiously".

The Republican presidential candidate has been telling his supporters that his re-election campaign will have people&nbsp;watching&nbsp;the&nbsp;polls "like crazy" on November 3.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-american-voters-make-history-more-than-70-million-cast-ballots-338468">American voters make history; more than 70 million cast ballots</a>

"Both law enforcement and yourselves and everybody," he told a large crowd at an airport in Londonderry near the city of Manchester.

Republicans are mobilising thousands of volunteers to watch early voting sites and ballot drop boxes leading up to November's election, part of an effort to find evidence to back up Trump's unsubstantiated complaints about widespread voter fraud.

Some voting-rights activists are concerned such encounters could escalate in a tense year that has seen armed militias face off against protesters in the nation's streets.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-will-be-americas-future-us-election-2020-new-york-direct-338147/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Here's the historical backdrop of "survey viewing" and how the training may take on new importance in the midst of a flood in mail balloting prodded by the coronavirus pandemic and Republican President Donald Trump's unconfirmed cases that mail casting a ballot is filled with misrepresentation.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-how-are-votes-counted-in-the-presidential-election-335422" hreflang="en">US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election?</a>

WHAT IS POLL WATCHING?&nbsp;

Survey watchers are essential for US&nbsp;races going back to the eighteenth century, with their exercises constrained by state laws and nearby principles. Individuals from the two players watch out for the democratic - and one another - to ensure things go easily.&nbsp;

State laws call eyewitnesses inside surveying places various things and appoint them various jobs. In certain spots, the survey "watchers" are not quite the same as "challengers," who can call attention to individuals they speculate aren't legitimate electors. In different states, survey watchers additionally do the difficult.&nbsp;

Then again different principles set limits on how close hardliner allies can remain outside surveying places, as they attempt to prepare to uphold for their applicants with signs, flyers, and other promoting.&nbsp;

Grumblings about excessively forceful survey watchers are normal. In some cases, spectators have utilized the capacity to challenge electors' capabilities in manners that oppress minorities, which has brought about some court activities to end those practices.&nbsp;

In a 1999 city political decision in Hamtramck, Michigan, for instance, challengers from a city bunch called "Residents for a Better Hamtramck" tested 40 Arab-Americans who had "brown complexion and particularly Arabic names," who were then constrained by political decision authorities to make a vow to demonstrate they were residents, as indicated by a US&nbsp;Equity Department assent order. The city consented to gather information laborers, and a government inspector was selected to regulate city decisions through 2003.&nbsp;

In 1981, a Republican activity put outfitted men in regalia decorated with "Voting form Security Task Force" outside surveying places in generally minority territories during a New Jersey state political decision. After that episode, the RNC consented to an assent order that restricted its polling form security tasks.&nbsp;

That declaration terminated in 2018 after a government judge declined Democratic endeavors to reestablish it.&nbsp;

This year points the principal official political race in almost forty years in which the RNC can take part in polling form security exercises without earlier audit and endorsement.&nbsp;

WHAT ARE THE RULES?&nbsp;

Guidelines on who can "watch" casting a ballot and the forces allowed these eyewitnesses, change from state to state. In Pennsylvania, for instance, survey watchers can watch the political decision - checking turnout and casting ballot machines - and furthermore challenge electors by taking their interests to political decision authorities. Nonetheless, these challenges for the most part are banished from collaborating straightforwardly with citizens, or from making meritless difficulties that hinder casting a ballot.&nbsp;

Capabilities for survey laborers likewise change. They regularly should be enrolled citizens; in certain states, they should be affirmed ahead of time by political race authorities. North Carolina necessitates that survey laborers be of "acceptable good character."&nbsp;

Eyewitnesses likewise are allowed by law in states that lead races generally via mail. In Oregon, for instance, the law says gatherings and competitors can support eyewitnesses to watch political race laborers open voting forms and tally them, however, these screens must carry on such that "won't meddle with an organized system."&nbsp;

Allies of gatherings and up-and-comers may remain outside surveying stations with flags and other political promoting, an action known as "electioneering." But that additionally is dependent upon laws that fluctuate from state to state.&nbsp;

For the most part, these supporters must keep specific good ways from the passage, so as not to pester or scare electors.&nbsp;

In Ohio, the fringe is 100 feet, and it should be set apart by two little American banners. In Florida and Georgia, the limit is 150 feet.&nbsp;

WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS YEAR?&nbsp;

The COVID-19 pandemic methods uncommon quantities of Americans will cast a ballot via mail and not face to face in 2020.&nbsp;

President Trump has made unwarranted cases that these polling forms will be polluted by extortion. His mission is trying to select a huge number of volunteers to search for anomalies,&nbsp;for example, individuals dropping off more than one voting form in states like Pennsylvania where that, by and large, isn't permitted.&nbsp;

This exertion is trying democratic laws planned around the face to face balloting on Election Day, political race specialists said. There is no rulebook for screens attempting to enter early surveying destinations, or conceivably testing citizens in open who are attempting to drop off their polling forms, said Terry Madonna, a political theory teacher at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania.&nbsp;

This current fall's political race will be the first in almost 40 years where the Republican National Committee will be free from an assent order that confined its capacity to take part in facilitated survey watching exercises. Leftists are worried that could open the entryway for Republicans to take part in a similar sort of elector terrorizing that brought about the assent order in any case in the mid-1980s.

ARE GUNS ALLOWED?&nbsp;

In a year that has seen equipped civilian armies stand up to protestors, some democratic rights advocates are anxious about the arrival of firearm hauling bunches appearing outside surveying places.&nbsp;

Some landmark states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Virginia, are purported open-convey states where residents can convey firearms straightforwardly in broad daylight. There are no laws on the books in those states unequivocally denying individuals from conveying guns into surveying places.&nbsp;

All things considered, state and government laws make it unlawful for anybody to attempt to scare citizens.&nbsp;

Casting a ballot rights associations to state they will have a large number of legal counselors remaining by who might mediate with nearby authorities or look for court requests to stop such movement.

With less than a week to go for the final showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the US election 2020, more than 70 million people have cast their ballots.

With less than a week to go for the final showdown between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the US election 2020, more than 70 million people have cast their ballots. Raising worries about conceivable elector terrorising, Trump has been encouraging his allies to go the surveys and "watch cautiously". The Republican presidential candidate has been telling his supporters that his re-election campaign will have people watching the polls "like crazy" on November 3. Also read: American voters make history; more than 70 million cast ballots "Both law enforcement and yourselves and everybody," he told a large crowd at an airport in Londonderry near the city of Manchester. Republicans are mobilising thousands of volunteers to watch early voting sites and ballot drop boxes leading up to November's election, part of an effort to find evidence to back up Trump's unsubstantiated complaints about widespread voter fraud. Some voting-rights activists are concerned such encounters could escalate in a tense year that has seen armed militias face off against protesters in the nation's streets. Here's the historical backdrop of "survey viewing" and how the training may take on new importance in the midst of a flood in mail balloting prodded by the coronavirus pandemic and Republican President Donald Trump's unconfirmed cases that mail casting a ballot is filled with misrepresentation. Also read: US election 2020: How are votes counted in the presidential election? WHAT IS POLL WATCHING? Survey watchers are essential for US races going back to the eighteenth century, with their exercises constrained by state laws and nearby principles. Individuals from the two players watch out for the democratic - and one another - to ensure things go easily. State laws call eyewitnesses inside surveying places various things and appoint them various jobs. In certain spots, the survey "watchers" are not quite the same as "challengers," who can call attention to individuals they speculate aren't legitimate electors. In different states, survey watchers additionally do the difficult. Then again different principles set limits on how close hardliner allies can remain outside surveying places, as they attempt to prepare to uphold for their applicants with signs, flyers, and other promoting. Grumblings about excessively forceful survey watchers are normal. In some cases, spectators have utilized the capacity to challenge electors' capabilities in manners that oppress minorities, which has brought about some court activities to end those practices. In a 1999 city political decision in Hamtramck, Michigan, for instance, challengers from a city bunch called "Residents for a Better Hamtramck" tested 40 Arab-Americans who had "brown complexion and particularly Arabic names," who were then constrained by political decision authorities to make a vow to demonstrate they were residents, as indicated by a US Equity Department assent order. The city consented to gather information laborers, and a government inspector was selected to regulate city decisions through 2003. In 1981, a Republican activity put outfitted men in regalia decorated with "Voting form Security Task Force" outside surveying places in generally minority territories during a New Jersey state political decision. After that episode, the RNC consented to an assent order that restricted its polling form security tasks. That declaration terminated in 2018 after a government judge declined Democratic endeavors to reestablish it. This year points the principal official political race in almost forty years in which the RNC can take part in polling form security exercises without earlier audit and endorsement. WHAT ARE THE RULES? Guidelines on who can "watch" casting a ballot and the forces allowed these eyewitnesses, change from state to state. In Pennsylvania, for instance, survey watchers can watch the political decision - checking turnout and casting ballot machines - and furthermore challenge electors by taking their interests to political decision authorities. Nonetheless, these challenges for the most part are banished from collaborating straightforwardly with citizens, or from making meritless difficulties that hinder casting a ballot. Capabilities for survey laborers likewise change. They regularly should be enrolled citizens; in certain states, they should be affirmed ahead of time by political race authorities. North Carolina necessitates that survey laborers be of "acceptable good character." Eyewitnesses likewise are allowed by law in states that lead races generally via mail. In Oregon, for instance, the law says gatherings and competitors can support eyewitnesses to watch political race laborers open voting forms and tally them, however, these screens must carry on such that "won't meddle with an organized system." Allies of gatherings and up-and-comers may remain outside surveying stations with flags and other political promoting, an action known as "electioneering." But that additionally is dependent upon laws that fluctuate from state to state. For the most part, these supporters must keep specific good ways from the passage, so as not to pester or scare electors. In Ohio, the fringe is 100 feet, and it should be set apart by two little American banners. In Florida and Georgia, the limit is 150 feet. WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS YEAR? The COVID-19 pandemic methods uncommon quantities of Americans will cast a ballot via mail and not face to face in 2020. President Trump has made unwarranted cases that these polling forms will be polluted by extortion. His mission is trying to select a huge number of volunteers to search for anomalies, for example, individuals dropping off more than one voting form in states like Pennsylvania where that, by and large, isn't permitted. This exertion is trying democratic laws planned around the face to face balloting on Election Day, political race specialists said. There is no rulebook for screens attempting to enter early surveying destinations, or conceivably testing citizens in open who are attempting to drop off their polling forms, said Terry Madonna, a political theory teacher at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania. This current fall's political race will be the first in almost 40 years where the Republican National Committee will be free from an assent order that confined its capacity to take part in facilitated survey watching exercises. Leftists are worried that could open the entryway for Republicans to take part in a similar sort of elector terrorizing that brought about the assent order in any case in the mid-1980s. ARE GUNS ALLOWED? In a year that has seen equipped civilian armies stand up to protestors, some democratic rights advocates are anxious about the arrival of firearm hauling bunches appearing outside surveying places. Some landmark states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Virginia, are purported open-convey states where residents can convey firearms straightforwardly in broad daylight. There are no laws on the books in those states unequivocally denying individuals from conveying guns into surveying places. All things considered, state and government laws make it unlawful for anybody to attempt to scare citizens. Casting a ballot rights associations to state they will have a large number of legal counselors remaining by who might mediate with nearby authorities or look for court requests to stop such movement.

US election 2020: The history and rules of poll watching

The Second Presidential Debate2020 brought much needed relief for American voters. But was it successful in influencing the pool of undecided voters? WION reports

Americans react to final Trump-Biden showdown | U.S. Election 2020 New York Direct

joe-biden

Joe Biden, News on Joe Biden, stories on Joe Biden, articles on Joe Biden, Joe Biden stories at Wion, Joe Biden news, Joe Biden latest news

joe biden