Supporters erupted in cheers as former US President Barack Obama took the stage during a Get-Out-The-Vote campaign rally for US Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in Tucson, Arizona, on October 18, 2024. – AFP

Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump intensified their campaign efforts on Saturday, addressing voters in key states such as Georgia and Pennsylvania, where early voting has already commenced. Harris and Trump are neck and neck in the most contested states, and many Americans are opting to vote early, either by mail or in person, with just 17 days remaining until the election.

On Saturday, Harris is set to lead a get-out-the-vote event in Detroit, Michigan, coinciding with the city's first day of early voting. She will be joined by Michigan-born rapper Lizzo. Following this, Harris will head to Atlanta, Georgia, for a rally with pop singer Usher, who is currently performing a sold-out, three-date concert tour in the city. Early voting began in Georgia this week.

Harris will need to secure strong support in the predominantly non-white cities of Detroit and Atlanta, along with their surrounding suburbs, to replicate U.S. President Joe Biden's 2020 victories in these states. Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, aiming to capitalize on what he perceives as an improved standing in recent polls that indicate a tightly contested race. Some voters in Pennsylvania have already received their mail-in ballots, making it a crucial battleground state that could determine the outcome of the 2024 election.

Early voting also kicks off on Saturday in Nevada, where former President Barack Obama is expected to campaign for Harris in Las Vegas. Both 2024 candidates were in Michigan on Friday, engaging in heated exchanges about their respective fitness for office. Trump, 78, refuted Harris' claims that he was fatigued by the demanding pace of the campaign's final stretch. Harris, who turns 60 on Sunday, insisted that Trump should release his health records, while Trump suggested Harris should undergo a cognitive test.

Trump maintained that he had not canceled any events, despite the cancellation of an October 22 National Rifle Association of America event in Savannah, Georgia, which he had planned to attend, according to organizers. "I'm not even tired," he asserted.

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