Barack Obama will launch a get-out-the-vote tour for Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh on Thursday evening with a speech at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Field House.
Mr. Obama’s visit occurs as polls show the race is a statistical tie in the Keystone State, with all results within the margin of error.
Both Ms. Harris and the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump — with their running mates and surrogates — have been barnstorming Pennsylvania to court every voter they can in what is considered to be a critical swing state. Ms. Harris is expected to visit Erie on Monday for a rally, but no further details on that event were immediately available.
Pennsylvania, with 19 Electoral College votes, is the largest of the battleground states.
Mail-in voting has begun in Western Pennsylvania.
According to Allegheny County officials, nearly 192,000 mail-in ballot applications have been approved, and almost 189,000 ballots have been mailed out as of this week. Nearly 24,000 completed ballots have already been returned to the elections office. No mail-in ballots will be opened and counted until Election Day.
The county began hosting “over-the-counter” voting in the lobby of the County Office Building at 542 Forbes Ave. on Sept 30. Over-the-counter voting will be available weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until the Oct. 29 deadline to request a mail-in ballot.
In addition to putting their early ballots in the mail, county voters — beginning Oct. 29 — will also be able to return them to county staff at various return sites. This year, they may also visit a handful of satellite locations, beginning Oct. 15, where they can complete various election-related services, including over-the-counter voting.
County election staff said they’ve recruited nearly all the poll workers they’ll need for the Nov. 5 election. Anybody interested in signing up can call 412-350-4500 and then select option 5. Poll workers were still needed in Plum, Pleasant Hills, and Carrick/Knoxville in Pittsburgh, officials said late last month.
Voters should also contact the local elections office to see if their polling place has changed. According to county officials, “one out of 10 polling places in Allegheny County has moved this year.”
First Published: October 9, 2024, 5:03 p.m.
Updated: October 10, 2024, 6:38 p.m.
