Katie Whelan, a high school history teacher from New Jersey, crossed the Pennsylvania border to knock on doors over the weekend for Mr. Biden in the key battleground. The previous night, she had awakened from a panic dream involving Mrs. Clinton and just falling short at the ballot box. Ms. Whelan recalled Mrs. Clinton telling her in the dream, Honey, Ive been there.
Adding to her anxiety, Ms. Whelan could not tell if the nightmare was set in 2016 or 2020. I stood over the sink and drank three pints of water, Ms. Whelan said. And I said to myself, I better get canvassing.
Mr. Trumps supporters were just as determined and anxious.
Outside the Polk County Auditors office in Des Moines, the line to vote early stretched around the block. For 18-year-old Mikayla Simpson, who stood in line wearing earbuds and a tan camouflage Trump 2020 baseball cap, the wait to cast her first vote for Mr. Trump was well worth it.
Id stand here all day if I had to, she said.
Turnout on Tuesday will be critical even with the record early voting.
Mr. Trump, who for months has sown mistrust in mail-in ballots, is especially in need of a huge in-person showing, banking that the Republican Partys early investment in door-knocking will pay off.
Mr. Trumps chances are mostly pinned on luring white working class voters to the polls many of whom have flocked to his rallies despite the health risks. Seeking to recapture the energy of his surprise 2016 win, Mr. Trumps final stop is expected to be in Grand Rapids, Mich., the same city he finished his 2016 schedule.read more
Undeterred by Coronavirus Pandemic, Americans Prepare to Render Verdict on Trump
