US Elections; Final State Campaigns in a Tight Race

Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, has significantly increased his state campaign travels in the final days of the US presidential election campaign to attract voters. Polls indicate that the competition between him and his Democratic rival has tightened. During a campaign event on Saturday in Nevada, security officers suddenly removed Mr. Trump from the stage. Moments later, he returned to the speaking venue. CNN reported, citing a local official, that there were reports of a weapon in the crowd, which was the reason for Trump's removal from the speaking venue. A suspect has been arrested in this regard, but security officials later stated that no weapon was found at the scene. Nevada is part of several trips Mr. Trump is making in these final days of the competition. Key states Florida and North Carolina, which have been the scene of the Republican candidate's campaign in recent days, will continue to host him. Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are also on his campaign route on November 15 and 16 (US time). Donald Trump, born in 1946 in New York, is one of the few presidential candidates in US election history who has secured a major party nomination without holding any elected office. On Saturday, during a speech in Wilmington (North Carolina), he told thousands of his supporters, 'Only three days left for the change you have been waiting for your entire life.' He reiterated his sometimes controversial campaign slogans, from ending free trade agreements and deporting illegal immigrants to what he describes as 'rebuilding' the 'depleted' US military. His supporters chanted 'Build the wall,' referring to Trump's promises to build a wall on the Mexican border at Mexico's expense to prevent and control movement at the southern borders, and 'Lock her up,' referencing Trump's statements during a debate with Hillary Clinton, that if he wins, he would send Clinton to prison. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, praised her supporters who gathered in a rainy Florida, saying, 'Whether it rains or shines, you are always ready.' She shortened her speech due to the weather and said, 'I don't think I need to remind you of all of Donald Trump's bad qualities.' Hillary Rodham Clinton, born in 1947 in Illinois, is the first woman nominated for the presidency by a major US party. However, the competition between the two main candidates has tightened again, moving away from the days of high public favor for Clinton. Polls from McClatchy and Marist as of November 5 show Clinton leading Trump by only one percent, and from September to November, the number of those intending to vote for Trump has increased. This could also reflect recent analyses in US media that some Republicans who were undecided about voting for Trump have ultimately decided to support their party's candidate. A national Reuters-Ipsos poll from Saturday gives Clinton a four percent lead, which is still one percent less than similar results from Friday. Polls indicate that Florida has become one of the most important battlegrounds between the two candidates. In the US presidential election voting mechanism, a candidate who secures 270 electoral votes out of a total of 538 wins. Most US states almost always vote for one of the two major parties based on their political leanings. As a result, a significant part of the election campaign is usually focused on states known as 'battlegrounds,' where the voting outcome may not be determined until the last moment. The fate of the presidential election in 2000, which was contested between Democratic candidate Al Gore and Republican candidate George Bush, was decided in Florida. After disputes over vote counting and recounting, the US Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Mr. Bush.