Candidates prepare for 2nd and final debate
Trump and Biden will face off in a final presidential debate this evening.
With 12 days to go until Election Day, and President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden racing toward Nov. 3, voters have turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots early as the candidates head to Nashville for a final showdown.
More than 45 million Americans have already voted in the 2020 election, reflecting an extraordinary level of participation and interest despite unprecedented barriers brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
The candidates face off in the final presidential debate of the 2020 election cycle from Belmont University in Nashville Thursday evening -- their last chance to pitch themselves to tens of millions of voters in primetime before Nov. 3.
In the final weeks of campaigning, the president has remained on defense as polls show him trailing nationally and in several battleground states key to his reelection hopes.
Biden, maintaining a lead in national polls -- his largest of the election, according to FiveThirtyEight's average -- stayed off the trail ahead of the debate, a pattern for the former vice president. The debate offers Biden a platform to solidify his lead so long as he avoids any major mistakes in the homestretch.
Polls indicate a huge pre-Election-Day edge for Biden and a sizable Trump advantage among those who plan to vote on Nov. 3 itself. Trump has sowed doubt in the mail-in ballot process -- and imminent election results -- for months.
All 50 states plus Washington, D.C., have some form of early voting underway. Check out FiveThirtyEight’s guide to voting during the COVID-19 pandemic here.
Latest headlines:
Harris tests negative for COVID-19
Sen. Kamala Harris underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected, according to an aide.
-ABC News' Averi Harper
White House says Trump tested negative for COVID-19
After the White House on Thursday did not respond to multiple requests from ABC News for information about whether President Trump had been tested for COVID-19 before the debate, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the president was tested on the flight from the D.C. area to Nashville and tested negative.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson
Biden departs for Nashville, says he hopes Trump plays by rules tonight
As he boarded his plane to Nashville for tonight’s final presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke briefly with reporters, telling them he’s looking forward to tonight and said he hope President Trump plays by the rules.
“There’s plenty of time to talk when this is over, OK? So hopefully he’s going to play by the rules. Hopefully everyone’s been tested. Hopefully it’s all worked out, the way the rules are. I’m looking forward to this,” Biden said before getting on the plane.
He also said he hopes everyone gets tested ahead of the event. Biden’s campaign announced he had tested negative for COVID-19 earlier today.
First couple departs for debate in Nashville
President Donald Trump and Melania Trump held hands as they departed Washington for Nashville to attend the final presidential debate, marking the first lady's first public appearance since she and the president announced they tested positive for COVID-19.
The first couple emerged from the White House residence and waved to supporters who gathered to see them off. They stood at some distance from the assembled crowd, but they did not wear face coverings.
Once at Joint Base Andrews, the first couple again held hands as they walked across the tarmac with mask-wearing escorts. The pair did not take any questions.
Melania Trump was supposed to join the president on the campaign trail on Tuesday but that appearance was canceled due to a "lingering cough."
The White House previously told ABC News that the president and first lady had both tested negative since falling ill but as of early Thursday afternoon hadn't released information verifying negative tests ahead of the debate.
-ABC News' Jordyn Phelps
Record 23,000 volunteer lawyers now helping nation's largest voter protection effort
Officials with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said at least 23,000 lawyers are now volunteering to assist with its Election Protection Hotline, a massive increase from prior cycles and the most on record.
It's a 400% increase from prior cycles when roughly 5,000 volunteers were on-call, according to the committee. The hotline is the nation's largest and longest-running independent voter help hotline.
The increase comes amid growing public demand for voter support along with reports of voter suppression, Kristen Clarke, the committee's president and executive director, said in a statement Thursday.
“We have activated a growing network of over 23,000 legal volunteers to help confront the threats that voters and to empower voters with the information they need to ensure that their voices are heard," Clarke said. "By empowering voters, intervening where threats emerge and mounting litigation to address the unlawful barriers that voters have faced during the pandemic, we are fighting to create a level playing field where every voice is heard.”
-ABC News' Devin Dwyer