In presidential elections, some of the 50 US states are more important than others.

Many of the so-called “safe states” tend to vote reliably one way or the other, while “swing states” could be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate.

This toss-up potential makes them attractive to candidates, as these votes could sway the election one way or the other.

What are the most important election issues in each state? Read DW's analysis.

After the 2020 U.S. federal election, Trump and many prominent Republicans refused to accept the results of the vote, leading to recounts in several states and weeks of uncertainty.

Since then, new laws have been passed that could make counting votes even more difficult. Several states with Republican-controlled legislatures have made it easier for counties to bar certain people from voting.

Read more: New voting rules in the USA could lead to election chaos

Vice President Kamala Harris has scheduled several campaign stops in swing states where polls remain dead between her and former President Donald Trump. First she will stop and speak with supporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and then in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Many analysts have pointed to Pennsylvania as being key to winning the entire election because of its large number of votes in the Electoral College and the uncertainty over which direction it will go.

Trump will also appear in North Carolina and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Both candidates are expected to continue their campaign at a breakneck pace until Election Day on November 5th.

Kamala Harris held a rally billed as a “closing remarks” for her campaign. According to the organizers, about 75,000 people were present. She promised to “put the country above party and above self” and compared herself to Trump, who is “obsessed with revenge.”

Her choice of venue was seen as significant. In the Ellipse, a park near the White House, Trump gave a speech to his supporters shortly before the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

During a Zoom meeting with Latino voters, President Joe Biden referenced a moment at a Trump rally on Monday in which a comedian called the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico “a floating pile of trash.”

The president said, “The only trash I see floating out there is his supporters.”

Biden's comment sparked outrage among Republicans. He later clarified that he specifically meant the comedian who made the original comment.

Former President Donald Trump spoke at an event in Pennsylvania where he promised to significantly increase tariffs on goods from the European Union. Economists have warned that such a move would significantly increase consumer prices in the U.S. and worldwide due to complex supply chains.

es/lo (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)