Pence, Harris face off in VP debate with diverging views of America

With less than a month to go until the election, early voting has already begun in 33 states and at least 5.5 million votes have been cast -- hitting record numbers across the nation. 

According to the United States Elections Project, spearheaded by the University of Florida's political expert, Michael McDonald, an unprecedented 5,618,155 voters have already voted and at least 69,786,179 ballots have been requested in early voting states. 

The coronavirus pandemic plays a factor in explaining the large early voting numbers as well as an increase in voter interest. Voters in 2020 are more eager to cast a ballot ahead of Election Day where polling sites could be viewed as overcrowded during pandemic standards. 

Seven states --- California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington -- have an all-mail ballot election meaning anyone registered to vote automatically receives a ballot to their registered address. 

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh

Former Chicago Mayor and ABC News contributor Rahm Emanuel said that the night's debate, although also important for the 2020 race, is also "first debate of 2024."

"I would call this the first vice presidential debate of 2020," Emanuel said. "And the first debate of 2024, because they're auditioning for that post."

An hour ahead of the debate, ABC News learned the coronavirus outbreak has infected "34 White House staffers and other contacts" in recent days, according to an internal government memo, an indication that the disease has spread among more people than previously known in the seat of American government.

ABC News "World News Tonight" Chief Anchor David Muir said the news presents an additional hurdle for Pence as the Trump-Pence team faces an uphill battle in the polls.

"He's the head of the coronavirus task force and he will have to make the case tonight that the American people are supposed to be able to look to this White House -- look to Vice President Mike Pence -- to keep them safe, knowing full well the president is positive, 34 people around him are positive," Muir said.

"And we also know the president will be watching tonight. He knows where the polling is right now, and he's expecting a command performance for Mike Pence to help with these numbers," he added.

ABC News Chief Political Analyst Matthew Dowd told "ABC News Live Prime" that the pressure is on Pence Wednesday night as it’s uncertain whether the public will see more presidential debates in light of the president’s positive diagnosis. 

“That's the concern for Trump-Pence is that this may be the last opportunity they have in this kind of setting to present their argument to the American public,” he said. "But Kamala just has to keep things going."

Dowd, who prepped former Vice President Dick Cheney for his debate in 2004, said it's Pence’s job tonight to ensure the Trump-Pence campaign doesn’t lose any more ground.

“This is a debate that, in order for Donald Trump and Mike Pence to get back in this race where they're significantly behind, Mike Pence at least has to stop the bleeding in the polls that are going on right now,” said Dowd.

“November 3 is the end of the election, so he has to begin to start chipping away at that lead and present the Donald Trump case in a much more forceful way of why they should get another four years,” he added, noting early voting is underway in several states.

For Harris, Dowd said, it’s her first big introduction to the American people, and her goal should be to keep the momentum going.

"They don't have to build on a lead. They already have a lead it's just to keep the momentum going because we have no idea whether we're gonna have another presidential debate next week or at all,” he said.