Election 2020 updates: Biden outlines plan for tackling COVID-19

In the final moments of the debate, Biden made what both he and Trump referred to as a “big statement” when the former vice president said, "I'd have a transition from the oil industry, yes.”

Trump and his campaign immediately seized on the comment. 

"He's going to destroy the oil industry,” Trump said. “Will you remember that, Texas?... Will you remember that, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma?" 

Biden went on to say the oil industry pollutes "significantly" and that he would stop giving the oil industry federal subsidies.

As he departed Nashville Thursday, Biden emphasized to reporters the transition from oil would happen over time and ultimately create new jobs.  

While the Trump campaign told reporters the plan "would kill millions of jobs and cripple our economy," Trump delivered on a promise he made on the debate stage, when he posted a video of spliced news clips on Twitter late Thursday -- with the caption, "Here you go @JoeBiden" -- to rebut Biden's claim that he never said he wants to end fossil fuels and ban fracking.

Trump might be right that Biden's words on energy and oil could frighten voters already jittery on the economy, but ABC News’ Deputy Political Director Mary Alice Parks notes that if the president is really worried about holding Oklahoma or Texas at this stage, his nerves themselves are telling.

After the second presidential debate was canceled following Trump's coronavirus diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization, both he and Biden returned to the stage Thursday night for their final opportunity to draw direct contrasts with one another before Election Day.

For 90 relatively-civil minutes, the pair sparred over a range of topics including the pandemic, health care, election security, immigration, their personal financial entanglements and climate change, among other things, guided by moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News.

The closing arguments arrived, however, on a day in which the number of early votes cast this year eclipsed the number of early votes total in 2016 -- still with days to go until Nov. 3. Over 50 million Americans have already voted, which leaves a winnowing group of persuadable individuals for Trump and Biden to win over.

Though there was some doubt about whether the event would take place after Trump repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates’ attempt to hold a virtual second debate prior to its eventual cancelation -- and later its decision to mute the candidates' microphones during portions of Thursday's discussion -- the debate moved forward without delay and largely absent of the repeated interruptions that marred the first.

Click here to read five key takeaways from the final presidential debate.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett and Adam Kelsey

He's trailing in the polls, running low on cash and watching campaign aides scramble to avoid blame for impending defeat.

For all that, Trump still might have the campaign where he wants it. If that's the case, he still needs his opponent to be someone and something that he isn't quite -- or hasn't yet been, in the minds of voters who still mostly like him.

The second and final debate was a study in contrasts from the first.

One thing that didn't change, though, was Trump's attempts to make Biden out as a corrupt and incompetent extremist. The plays that worked against Hillary Clinton and may have worked against Bernie Sanders have shown few signs of effectiveness against Biden.

Biden sought to bring the conversation back to bigger issues and called Trump "confused": "He thinks he's running against somebody else."

The former vice president gave Trump some of what he wanted late in the debate when he said he would "transition from the oil industry."

It's an easy and obvious line of attack for Republicans who want and need to frame Biden as a puppet of the far left. But redefining Biden will remain difficult -- even if the president found a way to stay on message from here.

-ABC News’ Political Director Rick Klein

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence cast their ballots in-person this morning back home in Indiana.

They were originally scheduled to early vote the week of the vice-presidential debate but that was rescheduled to today.

Afterward, they both gave a thumbs up to the cameras.

When a local reporter asked Pence if there was anything he’d like to say, he answered: "Great honor. And great to be back home again. Thank you."

Pence has campaign stops today in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He holds two rallies in Florida on Saturday.