Trump concludes MSG rally with anti-immigrant rhetoric

Trump was introduced to the stage by Melania in an unannounced appearance.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Tal Axelrod, Meredith Deliso, Emily Chang, David Brennan, and Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: October 28, 2024, 6:39 AM EDT

The race for the White House remained essentially a dead heat on Sunday -- with nine days to go until Election Day.

Former President Donald Trump delivered a speech Sunday afternoon at New York's Madison Square Garden. After making several stops in Philadelphia on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris held a rally there Sunday afternoon.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news developed:
Oct 28, 6:03 am

Almost 42 million voters have cast a vote

Almost 42 million Americans have cast a vote through early voting methods, as of Sunday afternoon, according to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab.

The about 41.9 million recorded mail and early in-person votes were evenly split with about 21 million mail ballots returned nationally and about the same cast at in-person early voting polling sites across the country, the data showed.

Early voting options are now open to voters in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Many early voting periods will last until the weekend before Election Day.

Oct 25, 2024, 2:48 PM EDT

Trump repeats threat to jail election officials

Trump on Friday reposted his earlier message promising, before any evidence of fraud, to prosecute and deliver long prison sentences for election workers and others who he deems to have cheated during November's election.

"Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials," Trump wrote on his social media platform. "Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country."

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Thomas & Mack Center, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Alex Brandon/AP

Election officials had called such a threat "dangerous" given the heightened threat environment.

"It makes me concerned that this will set other people off. I think the one thing that we've seen before is that words have consequences and meaning," Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told ABC News last month.

"And while we are concerned, we are also prepared. Elections officials across the country have been working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to monitor and track threats, to make sure we're keeping our voters safe and make sure we're keeping our elections officials safe," Fontes said.

Oct 25, 2024, 2:32 PM EDT

Harris says she hasn't voted yet but it's on 'priority list'

Harris, taking reporter questions on Friday, was asked if she's cast her ballot yet.

Her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, voted with his wife and son in Minnesota earlier this week.

Harris said she hasn't voted but "it's on my priority list for these next few days."

Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks during a campaign rally at the James R Hallford Stadium on Oct. 24, 2024 in Clarkston, Ga.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Oct 25, 2024, 2:26 PM EDT

Trump to call into Virginia rally after voter purge program halted

Trump is attempting to place doubt about voter rolls in Virginia after a judge ordered voters purged from election rolls as a result of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's directive to be reinstated.

A federal judge said on Friday Youngkin's program violated the National Voting Rights Act of 1993.

"This is a totally unacceptable travesty, and Governor Youngkin is absolutely right to appeal this ILLEGAL ORDER, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hopefully fix it! Only U.S. Citizens should be allowed to vote. Keep fighting, Glenn - AND REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA, KEEP VOTING EARLY!" Trump posted on his social media platform.

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump is set to rally with Youngkin on Saturday. Trump said he plans to call into the rally to highlight the issue.

"I will be calling in to Glenn's Rally with Lara Trump tomorrow morning to talk about this crazy Ruling, and announce my final stop in Virginia before Election Day."

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Soorin Kim and Kelsey Walsh

Oct 25, 2024, 2:07 PM EDT

Pennsylvania county says it stopped thousands of voter registration fraud incidents

Pennsylvania's Lancaster County Board of Elections said that approximately 2,500 suspected fraudulent voter registration applications were dropped off at the election office in two batches around the deadline to register.

The deadline to register in the swing state was Oct. 21.

The board said "concerns were raised" during the normal review process and law enforcement was alerted.

Notably, the board says in its statement that the fraud was "identified and contained" and lauded this incident as one that shows that the election "system is secure."

"Our system worked," the board declared. "We will continue to operate with the highest levels of veracity, integrity, and transparency so that Lancaster County voters can be confident in our election."

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin