A former GOP strategist has warned that there could be consequences over the election counting process.
Adam Goodman, who hosts the 13th and Park podcast, told GB News America that he hopes that there will be no trouble following the polls closing on November 5.
Donald Trump and his allies, who falsely claim that his 2020 defeat was the result of fraud, have spent months laying the groundwork to again challenge the result if he loses.
He has promised "retribution," spoken of prosecuting his political rivals and described Democrats as the "enemy within." Meanwhile, Harris has cast Trump as a danger to democracy.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are going head to head at the polls
Reuters
When asked if he thinks Americans will respect the result, Goodman told GB News: "I hope so because we have a problem. We talk about election day and we think everything will be decided and everything sorted then. And that's not the case.
"There are so many areas and swing states that will not be reporting as efficiently as we want them to. So the vote will not be decided on one day and one night.
"You also need to consider this thing called the Blue Tide. Early in the night, in the swing states, the best numbers Trump will have will be the early numbers generally because rural and suburban areas will come in before the urban areas.
"The urban areas are where the Democrats are strongest. So as the night progresses, you'll see a tightening of the gap, generally in a lot of places. That's what I'm concerned about.
"It's nothing to suggest voter fraud or something's wrong, it's just the way votes are counted. But the perceptional part is people will see it and think 'hang on, Trump was seven points up, now he's a point up'. That lack of understanding of the process could have consequences."
LATEST IN THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 2024
Adam Goodman said it would be 'very risky' for the couple to wade into the electionGB NewsSpeaking about which states people should be looking at over the election night, he said: "Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, those are your seven. A lot of people are speculating about which state is most important.
"Take the state of Georgia. If Donald Trump carries Georgia, there is a seven in 10 chance, according to the lead prognosticator in the country, there's a seven to 10 chance that Donald Trump will be president just by carrying Georgia. If Kamala Harris carries Georgia, there's a nine in 10 chance that she will be the next president. So Georgia is very significant.
"But for me, it's Pennsylvania that's a fascinating state. Joe Biden did well there in beating Trump. And he beat Trump by, I think, a point and a half, two points, partly because of the Scranton Joe signature that he had, coming from Scranton originally, he kind of fit different in parts of Pennsylvania, beyond Philadelphia.
"[Harris] doesn't have that appeal outside of Philadelphia. I think the biggest thing Democrats did not do they had a chance to do, of course, though there were some risks to this, to nominate the current governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, to be the Vice President with Kamala. Had she nominated Josh Shapiro, very arguably, I think she wins Pennsylvania. He's a very popular governor."
Kamala Harris doesn't have the same appeal in Pennsylvania as Joe Biden
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Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in North Carolina
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With less than 48 hours to go until the polls close, both candidates are campaigning in key swing states. Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon told reporters: "We are feeling very good about where we are right now."
The campaign says its internal data shows that undecided voters are breaking in their favor, particularly women in the battleground states, and that they see an increase in early voting among core parts of their coalition, including young voters and voters of colour.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign has been more focused on contacting "low propensity" voters, or voters that often do not go to the polls, instead of appealing to middle-of-the-road voters who can flip to either side.
Trump believes concerns about the economy and high prices, especially for food and rent, will carry him to the White House, telling a rally: "We're going to cut your taxes, end inflation, slash your prices, raise your wages and bring thousands of factories back to America."
