US campaign nears end, but poll concerns deepen

WASHINGTON－The US presidential campaign entered its final day on Monday with a last-minute scramble for votes by President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden, drawing to a close an extraordinary race that has put a pandemic-stricken country on edge.

But while campaigning will halt and voters will have their say on Tuesday, many questions remain over how soon a result will be known due to a flood of mail-in ballots and possible legal challenges.

Those factors, along with an unprecedented convergence of social justice protests, coronavirus precautions and Trump's fear-mongering campaign, have led to apprehension over whether unrest could erupt.

Taking no chances, businesses in some cities have boarded up windows, while across the country the harsh political climate has led to fierce debate, in some cases even dividing families.

While officials said there have been no credible threats of violence on or after election day, they could not stress more about being vigilant against those incidents.

"It's no secret that this election is more contentious than in years past," Terence Monahan, chief of department for the New York Police Department, said last week while outlining election security plans.

As proof of how much the US public has been galvanized－and perhaps frightened by the pandemic－a record of more than 93 million people have cast early ballots, including in-person and mailed votes, said the nonpartisan US Elections Project.

As the hours counted down on Monday and with polls showing him behind, Trump was expected to repeat his marathon performance from the previous day with another set of five rallies in the battleground states of North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Biden was also scheduled to be in Pennsylvania－including a drive-in rally with pop star Lady Gaga－as well as in Cleveland, Ohio.

Closing arguments

On Sunday, Trump and Biden drove home their closing arguments－and the president said his supporters would again shock the world.

In Georgia, wearing his familiar red campaign hat, the 74-year-old Republican said: "It's going to be the talk of the world."

Wrapping up a long day, he held a rally that did not begin until shortly before midnight in Opa-locka, Florida, a crucial state for him which polls show is a tossup.

Crowds there chanted "fire Fauci"－referring to the widely respected government infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, who has drawn White House anger over his outspokenness on the need to do more to rein in COVID-19.

"Don't tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election," Trump said in response.

Agencies - Xinhua