Presidential candidates push for votes ahead of Election Day

World Today

presidential-candidates-push-for-votes-ahead-of-election-day

In the past week, we could see support for Trump increased and support for Clinton decreased. Both the candidates and their supporters are focused on critical states in the race for votes.

CCTV America’s Jessica Stone reports.
Follow Jessica Stone on Twitter @JessicaStoneTV

Hillary Clinton is targeting Pennsylvania and Michigan, with the Election Day now just days away.

Democrats are worried that black voter turnout, which propelled Barack Obama to victory in 2008, is lagging this year.

Clinton needs African Americans, Latinos and women to vote for her, so she’s eager to compare her record to Donald Trump’s when it comes to issues they care about.

Clinton is still ahead of Trump in an average of opinion polls, but Trump is gaining on her. In the critical states of Florida and North Carolina, the two candidates are now virtually tied.

All this is happening while New York City beefs up security in the wake of reports of possible terror attacks around the Election Day.

The FBI and local police are still assessing the credibility of these reports. Both Clinton and Trump will hold rallies there Tuesday.

Meantime, the Clinton campaign fanned out across other battleground states like Colorado, Florida and North Carolina, taking nothing for granted as opinion polls tighten.

While Clinton has been focused on turning out voters that helped Barack Obama win the White House, Donald Trump has been trying to win votes away from traditional democratic strongholds.


Homeless people often underrepresented at polls

With the U.S. elections just days away, many Americans are getting ready to cast their ballots. But one group- America’s half million homeless- will be largely underrepresented at the polls. Some activists are trying to change that.

CCTV America’s Roee Ruttenberg has the story.
Follow Roee Ruttenberg on Twitter @RoeeRuttenberg

Last month, a church in Washington D.C. hosted an event for the city’s homeless population. Those who showed up could hear about the political issues that affect them, and voice their concerns.

“When you are homeless, you have a really clear analysis of how power works,” said Will Merrifieldof Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. “So a lot of homelessness people are obviously paying attention to the national politics, but are paying attention to the local politics, because they know all change happens locally.”

Eric Sheptock is a 47-year old DC resident who has been residing on DC’s streets for the last decade. Sheptock cast his ballot early. So he’s just voted for president and is trying to encourage other homeless people to do the same.

As in any voter demographic, there’s a diversity of opinion.

Megan Hustings works for the National Coalition for the Homeless. She is trying to make sure voices from other than the rich are heard and counted. Her organization, the National Coalition for the Homeless, and its partners have registered hundreds of thousands of homeless voters over the last 30 years.

An estimated half a million people in the U.S. are without housing on any given night. Registering them to vote can be tricky. Many States now allow homeless people to use their shelter or a soup kitchen as their place of address.

Others will even allow them to write in the location of the bench they sleep on. It’s a start, activists said, but not enough.


Pierre Martin discusses the US Presidential election

To have a detailed look at the U.S. Presidential election, CCTV America’s Mike Walter spoke with Le Journal de Montréal Columnist Pierre Martin, who is also a Political Science Professor from Université de Montréal.