US election: Trump pledges 'new golden age' in Pennsylvania

Quantum computing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate change, space exploration and semiconductor manufacturing.

These are just some of the critical science and technology priorities that the next US president, be it Trump or Harris, will need to address during his or her time in office.

Emerging tech will have significant implications for economic growth, national security and global leadership in the coming years. Some, like AI regulation or semiconductors, could shape global economics and relationships for a generation.

"The next president will address the relationship of the US research community with the world. And global challenges in health, environment and security will be high on the next president's agenda," Caroline Wagner, an expert in science-related public policy at Ohio State University, told DW.

So, how would a Trump or Harris administration affect US stances on science and tech-related issues? Read the full story here.

On November 5, millions of US voters will decide whether they want Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to sit in the White House for the next four years.

But did you know that Americans do not technically elect their president directly? That's right, the key votes are cast later by 538 people. This group is called the Electoral College.

Electoral College members are then instructed on how to vote, typically for whichever candidate won the most votes in a given state. It's not unheard of for them to defy their orders, but it has never affected an election's outcome.

Here's how it works.

Kamala Harris started her day's campaigning at a historically Black church in the swing state of Michigan.

"In just two days we have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come," Harris told parishioners in a religious-themed message at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit.

"We must act. It's not enough to only pray; not enough to just talk." 

"We must act on the plans He [God] has in store for us, and we must make them real through our works, in our daily choices, in services to our communities, in our democracy."

Speaking after Donald Trump labeled Democrats as "demonic," Harris told the church that God offered the US a "divine plan strong enough to heal division." 

The vice president argued that Tuesday's election offered voters the chance to reject "chaos, fear and hate."

US Vice President Kamala Harris says she has cast her vote in the US election by dispatching a mail-in ballot to her home state of California.

"I actually just filled out my mail-in ballot," the Democratic nominee for president told reporters as she campaigned in the swing state of Michigan.

She added that the ballot was "on its way to California."

She later posted a video online saying that she had voted and urging others to do so.

"Your voice is your vote, and your vote is your power," Harris said.

Many in Iran believe that a Harris victory in this year's presidential election would mean a continuation of the status quo in their country, and are hopeful that a Trump win could remove the Islamic regime from power.

"Trump's statements are perceived selectively not only in the US but also in Iran," Iranian political journalist Fariba Pajooh told DW. 

"Many Iranians believe he could topple the regime in Iran," and end the country's economic crisis, Pajooh said, but also pointed out that Trump has never said he intends to take down the government in Tehran.

Read DW's full report about how Iranians view the election here.

Trump has told a crowd at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, that he was running against "a corrupt machine called the Democratic Party" and would make major changes if elected.

"I will end inflation. I will stop the invasion of massive numbers of criminals coming into our country, thank you Kamala and Joe," Trump said at the rally, having first asked the crowd if they preferred their situation now or that of four years ago. 

He told the crowd that if elected on Tuesday, it would mark the start of a "new golden age" for the country. 

Trump also focused on Biden early in his speech, asking "where is Joe?" and alleging that "they stole the election" from Biden when he withdrew from the race, without specifying who he meant exactly. 

He also criticized voting practices, amid concerns Trump may be liable to allege election fraud in the case of defeat, saying: "We should have one-day voting and paper ballots." 

"These elections have to be decided by 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock on Tuesday night," he said. 

Later, Trump is expected to head to Kinston, North Carolina, before attending an evening rally in Macon, Georgia.

Sunday is the first day since Tuesday last week that Trump and Harris are not campaigning in the same state on the same day.

When it comes to the US presidential elections, some of the country's 50 states matter more than others. 

Many of the so-called safe states usually 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 since these votes could push the election either way.

The swing states that will likely determine who ultimately wins the presidency are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

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

DW took to the streets of seven African countries to find out what people there think about the upcoming vote.

Russia's deputy chairman of the security council and former President Dmitry Medvedev has said the US presidential election next week will not change anything for Moscow. 

"The elections will not change anything for Russia, since the candidates' positions fully reflect the bipartisan consensus on the need for our country to be defeated," Medvedev said in a post on Telegram messaging platform on Sunday.

US intelligence officials have previously stated that Russia has a preference for Donald Trump.

The former president has repeatedly praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin and implied on the campaign trail that he would stop or dramatically slow military aid to Ukraine if he wins the November 5 election.

Kamala Harris has overtaken Donald Trump in a new poll in Iowa, a state the Republican presidential nominee won with a wide margin in the past two US elections.

The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll put the Democrat three points ahead, leading Trump 47% to 44%.

Harris' lead is within the 3.4 percentage point margin of error, but marks a notable turnaround from a September Iowa Poll that gave Trump a four-point edge, the newspaper reported. 

"The poll shows that women — particularly those who are older or who are politically independent — are driving the late shift toward Harris," the Register said.

Trump won Iowa, which has trended Republican in recent years, by more than 9 percentage points in 2016 and by 8 points in 2020.

The Trump campaign released a memo from its chief pollster calling the Des Moines Register poll "a clear outlier."

It said a weekend Emerson College poll, which gave Trump a 10-point lead, more closely reflected the Iowa electorate. That poll also has a 3.4 percentage point margin of error.

Whoever wins Iowa will get six Electoral College votes. A total of 270 are needed to win the White House.

Ahead of Election Day, Germany is watching with trepidation to see whom Americans will choose for their next US president.

Though officials in Berlin have expressed a desire for productive relations with whoever is elected, a second Trump presidency could spell trouble for Germany.

Watch DW's full report here: 

With less than 48 hours remaining before Election Day, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are prioritizing swing states this Sunday.

Harris is holding multiple events in Michigan, starting in Detroit, followed by a stop in Pontiac, and concluding with an evening rally at Michigan State University.

Trump is rallying with supporters in the key swing states of Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Kamala Harris urged her supporters to "keep calm-ala and carry on-ala," in a surprise on the "Saturday Night Live" TV comedy sketch show.

The Democratic presidential candidate made her debut on the show, which has featured other presidential candidates throughout its decades-long history.

Donald Trump last appeared on SNL in 2015, where he poked fun at his tendency to exaggerate and steer clear of policy specifics.

Earlier on Saturday, Harris' and Trump's planes shared the tarmac in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the two candidates held dueling events in the southern battleground state.

The Republican candidate later headed to Virginia, where he predicted he would win not just the Electoral College count but a majority of votes cast across the country.
"We're going to win the popular vote," Trump told the crowd. "I think we have a really good chance to win the popular vote."

Meanwhile, the Election Lab at the University of Florida reported that more than 75 million Americans had already cast ballots by Saturday, a sign of voter enthusiasm.

nm,dv/lo (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)