Kamala Harris and Donald Trump battled Monday until the final hours before Election Day, when Americans will either elect the first female president in U.S. history or deliver an unprecedented comeback to the Republican that will likely shake the world.

While polls show an even match, the rivals spent the final day of their campaigns in states too close to call that will tip the balance after polls close on Tuesday.

Trump held rallies in the North Carolina and Pennsylvania before the grand finale in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Harris has gone all-out in Pennsylvania, starting in gritty Scranton and rising to a rally in the footsteps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art made famous by the movie “Rocky”; here Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Oprah Winfrey.

Speaking in Reading, Pennsylvania, Trump pursued his apocalyptic vision of America in decline and oppressed by illegal immigrants whom he described as “savages” and “animals.”

“If he wins, he will open the borders the day after the election,” he said.

Harris voiced her opposition to Trump-backed abortion bans across the US, one of her key vote-winning positions.

But in stark contrast to Trump’s dark tone, Harris was optimistic and struck a centrist note.

He told voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that if elected he would “listen to those who disagree with me.”

“We are fighting for democracy right now and we love our democracy,” he said.

Both parties say early turnout is encouraging, with more than 80 million people voting ahead of Election Day.

Superstar Taylor Swift, whose previous support for Harris added excitement to the campaign, sent an “extremely important reminder” to her 283 million followers that Tuesday is their last chance to vote.

Generation change?

78-year-old Trump became the oldest major party candidate to run for the US presidency.

But despite criminal convictions and the scandal of his supporters’ violent attack on Congress four years ago, he enters Election Day with huge advantages.

Polls show Americans are dissatisfied with the state of the country after four years of President Joe Biden. And Trump’s political base is deeply committed to a man who won the presidency in 2016 and is now seeking a comeback with the message that he is an outsider fighting left-wing elites.

Last two weeks of the campaign I saw Harris respond With warnings that Trump is an extreme and unstable figure seeking to subvert American democracy.

Harshly implementing his strategy of turning out right-wing voters, Trump has given him plenty of fodder by embracing increasingly violent and at times racist rhetoric.

But his message caught the attention of 19-year-old first-time voter Ethan Wells, a restaurant cook in Michigan.

He “allowed a lot of illegals in and they are killing and raping our own people,” Biden told AFP. “When Trump became president, no one messed with America.”

Harris, 60, however, faced major challenges as she was catapulted into the race after Biden abruptly dropped out of the race in July.

But in that short time, Biden’s previously little-noticed vice president has galvanized the Democratic Party, sparked excitement among young voters, and created a generational challenge after nearly a decade of Trump’s dominance (either as president or in his wake). He promised a change. His refusal to concede defeat to Biden in 2020.

“We’re not going back,” Harris said in Pennsylvania.

“We are ready for a president who understands this” true measure of power A leader’s identity does not depend on who you defeat. It depends on who you lift.”

high voltage

The world is watching with concern that the outcome will have important consequences for the conflicts in the Middle East, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the fight against climate change, which Trump calls a hoax.

The most pressing fear is the capitulation of US democracy.

Fears of violence are very real, as Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July and police thwarted a second plot.

In Washington, a growing number of businesses and office buildings are being closed in case there is a repeat of the insurrection that Trump supporters started on January 6, 2021.

Trump still refuses to admit he lost the election and just this weekend said he “shouldn’t have left” the White House.

“Trump and his campaign are already telegraphing that they may declare victory early,” Harris spokesman Ian Sams said Monday.