With the two-party political conventions behind us, presidential candidates are preparing for the final stretch before Election Day.
Over the next two months, former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and their surrogates will crisscross the country, delivering their final message to voters through rallies, political ads, phone calls and more.
Labor Day marks the start of the presidential campaign, so voters can expect to see campaigning and fundraising ramp up. This week, Trump will campaign in Wisconsin and Harris in Pennsylvania.
Election Day is about two months away, but millions of voters will cast their ballots before then thanks to early voting. FridayThe first early ballots are sent out in the swing state of North Carolina.
On September 10Trump and Harris will face off in their first-ever televised debate. The event will take place in Philadelphia and viewers can expect the candidates to clash on key issues like the economy, immigration and abortion.
Eight days later, the September 18Trump’s sentencing in his criminal bribery case is set to begin, although his lawyers have asked the judge to postpone that decision until after the November presidential election.
This same week, in-person mail voting begins in some states. For example, early voting begins on September 26 in Illinois and October 8 in Indiana. The National Conference of State Legislatures has a complete list of the dates each state begins early voting.
On October 1stRunning mates Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance are set for their televised debate.
Election day is November 5thAnd up until that point, campaigns will spend hundreds of millions targeting voters, including those who haven’t yet paid much attention to the candidates and those who are still undecided. Ultimately, the race will come down to six to eight key states, including neighboring Wisconsin and Michigan.
Here in Chicago, key court dates are also on the horizon. Former City Councilman Ed Burke is scheduled to report to prison on September 23The trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is next scheduled to begin in early October.
NBC Chicago
