CNN: Less than a week to poll, Harris, Trump campaign in battleground states

Harris and Trump hold dueling events in key states in final campaign

• Election countdown: With less than a week to Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are campaigning in pivotal battleground states today as they race to make their final case to voters.

• Closing pitch: Harris reminded the large crowd at the Ellipse in Washington, DC, last night that it was the location where Trump wanted to “overturn the will of the people” on January 6, 2021. In what was billed as her campaign’s “closing argument,” she contrasted herself with Trump, saying she would bring a to-do list to the White House in place of his “enemies list.”

• Tight race: In the critical Southwest swing states of Arizona and Nevada, Harris and Trump run near even in the race, according to new CNN polls. In Pennsylvania, a CBS/YouGov poll found the race tied. This comes as CNN’s national poll shows them in a locked race.

• Voter resources: See CNN’s voter handbook for how to vote in your area, and read up on the 2024 candidates and their proposals on key issues. Here are key things to know about how US elections work.

This is how members of Congress are elected — and why the balance of power is key

Every two years, every seat in the House, all 435 of them, is up for grabs. Most of those seats are relatively safe for either Republicans or Democrats, but there is always the possibility that the majority changes hands.

Democrats are favored in 208 races and Republicans are favored in 212, according to preelection House race ratings from the nonpartisan analysis site Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales.

With just 15 races listed as toss-ups, it’s likely that neither party will have a very large majority next year.

Changes in the balance of power have actually happened more in recent elections. This year, Republicans are heading into the election with a small majority, and it’s entirely possible that Democrats win their own small majority for the next House even if they lose the White House and control of the Senate.

It’s important for either party to control the House. Presidents need control to enact their priorities. The out-of-power party wants control to block the president’s priorities. In an ideal world, the two sides would work together to find consensus on issues like immigration and the tax code.

Where the candidates stand: Immigration

US Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol vehicles sit parked along border wall fencing between the United States and Mexico on August 1 in Jacumba Hot Springs, California.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has made immigration and the US-Mexico border a central campaign issue, successfully pressuring Republicans to reject a major bipartisan border deal earlier this year.

Kamala Harris, menwhile, has tried to counter Trump’s attacks on her immigration record during her campaign.

Trump’s attacks stem from President Joe Biden having tasked Harris with overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America in 2021. While she focused on long-term fixes, the Department of Homeland Security remained responsible for overseeing border security.

Here’s a look at what both candidates have pledged on the issue:

Trump

In an op-ed in January, Trump vowed to use the “Alien Enemies Act to remove known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States.”

He also wrote that he plans to “shift massive portions of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement — including parts of the DEA, ATF, FBI, and DHS.”

In a video posted on Truth Social in February before a visit to the border, Trump also promised to “carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.”

Trump in June proposed “automatically” giving green cards to foreign nationals who graduate from US colleges — comments that break from his efforts to curb both legal and illegal immigration while in office.

After the Israel-Hamas war began last October, Trump promised to terminate the visas of “Hamas’ sympathizers.”

Harris

Her campaign released a video in July citing support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents, and she has often called out Trump’s successful push to scuttle a bipartisan immigration deal that included some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory.

In June, the White House announced a crackdown on asylum claims meant to continue reducing crossings at the border — a policy that Harris’ campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, indicated in July to CBS News would continue under a Harris administration.

Harris has only occasionally talked about her efforts as the border became a political vulnerability for Biden. But she put her own stamp on the administration’s efforts, engaging the private sector. Harris pulled together the Partnership for Central America, which has acted as a liaison between companies and the US government.

Experts credit Harris’ ability to secure private-sector investments as her most visible action in the region to date but have cautioned about the long-term durability of those investments.