5 Things Special Edition: What you should know about Election Day

Whether you consider yourself a political obsessive or you only tune in before voting day, it’s always a good idea to be informed before heading to your local polling place or mailing in your ballot. In this special edition of 5 Things, we’ll help you brush up with the information a lot of people are asking for in the final sprint to Election Day.

Happy Friday, readers! Whether you consider yourself a political obsessive or you only tune in every four years, it’s important to be informed before heading to your local polling place or mailing in your ballot. In this special edition of 5 Things, we’ll help you brush up with the information a lot of people are asking for in the final sprint to Election Day. The 2024 election is coming down to the wire, so if you’ve been waiting until November 5 to cast your ballot, you’ll need to be prepared. Check your registration status online. Twenty-three states and Washington, DC, allow Election Day voter registration. Next, know your voting location. The site you voted at two or four years ago may have moved. Be sure to bring a photo ID. Rules differ from state to state regarding what forms of identification are acceptable. Finally, expect long lines at many voting locations — and know that what you are wearing could keep you from voting: several states have electioneering laws that prohibit wearing campaign hats, T-shirts or buttons within a certain distance of a polling location. 🇺🇸  Use CNN’s personalized voter handbook to find out the rules and deadlines in your state. The Harris and Trump campaigns are focused on corralling votes in battleground states that could determine the election. Recent CNN polls show Kamala Harris maintains a narrow advantage in two of the three “blue wall” states — Wisconsin and Michigan — that collectively represent her clearest path to an Electoral College victory. But the race is tied in Pennsylvania, the largest electoral prize of the three states. In the critical Southwest battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, Harris and Donald Trump run near even in the race for the White House. And in Georgia and North Carolina, it’s also neck and neck. If the vote count is close in key states, like it was in 2020, we probably won’t know the winner on Election Day. 🇺🇸  It takes at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Plot each candidate’s best path to victory with CNN’s Road to 270 map. A scant 2% of likely voters say they haven’t yet chosen a presidential candidate to support, and another 12% have chosen one but say they could change their minds, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in late September found. About 41% of likely voters say the economy is the most important issue for them, with protecting democracy second at 21%, immigration at 12% and abortion at 11%. According to the poll, likely voters said they trust Trump over Harris to handle the economy, immigration and foreign policy. On the other hand, likely voters generally favor Harris’ approach on abortion and reproductive rights, uniting the country and protecting democracy.