Intelligent, impressive servant of yours and your people and that she be made Vice President. We need leaders like Vice President biden and senator harris to restore love where there is currently hate. We need to have them unite where there is division. We need them to provide hope where there is despair. Since we know that you do all 46ths, granted that the president of the United States will be joe biden in that the next Vice President be Kamala Harris. We have a few more things to ask. Give the democrats the majority in the senate and that there continue to be a democratic majority in the house of representatives. Legislativetate branch into a democratic majority all over this country. We ask that there be a peaceful voting process at every polling place. Let there be no intimidation, no suppression of your people who come out to exercise their right to vote. Keep them safe in the hours of campaigning that are we ask that you put your arms up protection around Vice President biden and senator harris and all other candidates running for political office, whether they be at the local, state, or national level. You said that we ask not so we ask not so we asked for a lot today but we know you can do all things exceedingly well, thus grant us victory on november 3 so that chaos can become calm, and right over wrong. Make all of us loving people with caring hearts, like joe biden and Kamala Harris. They are going to make this world a better place to have. In that name, we pray. That is above every name. Amen. [honking] please welcome congressman dwight evans. Good philadelphia, pennsylvania. It is my pleasure, my brothers and sisters, to be here at this church, the great church of bishop reed. I am honored today to have this opportunity to add my voice as a welcome to all of you on a very significant moment. When we think about it, two days decision asked two days to go, two days to go, we have a decision to make. We have to enforce that decision by voting. The only way we make a difference is to vote. Particularly my brothers and sisters in the africanamerican community, understanding how important black people are. Thisve helped build country. We have helped defend this country. We have helped make a difference in this country. Democracy is on the ballot. Democracyotect the and the way to protect democracy is to vote. Joe biden and Kamala Harris are the team to vote for. We need someone who is going to fight for the soul of america. That is what Vice President biden has demonstrated. He has shown with his readership, him and senator harris have brought together a team to bring us together. But they cant do it alone. We must help. We must get involved. We must connect, we must get our families involved, we must not take this election for granted. , the great state of pennsylvania, a mishap, but we can correct that mishap by voting. We have to understand what is on the ballot. Criminal justice, education, jobs, all these things are on the ballot, but most of all, the soul of the nation is on the ballot. Vice President Biden has demonstrated to all of us that he has that kind of leadership that will be necessary to bring us together. I ask all my brothers and sisters, i want you to take a deep breath, i want you to say you are going to be part and not take this election for granted and recognized, this is about us. All of us have to do our part. One last thing, vote. Let me hear you, vote. Let me hear you. Vote. Let me hear you. Vote. Let me hear you. Vote. [honking] please welcome Bishop Milton cantor. Hello, philadelphia, and hello people of faith. On the lord in the time of trouble. This is a time of trouble. We are courageous enough people of faith to do two things come out to pray, then to go to the and vote formber 3 joe biden and Kamala Harris. It is up to you now. We have the power to make our voice heard by taking our souls to the polls. I have heard people say talk about the government as if it is something separate, but government is me, it is you, it is we, it is also. It is us. We cannot afford to be complacent. I know 92 Million People have voted already, but we must understand that your vote counts. I heard somebody say voting is like driving. If you want to go backwards, choose r, if you want to go forward, choose d, that is joe biden and Kamala Harris. Black lives matter. Lack voting lives matter. Faith lives matter. We can do this. On our knees in prayer and we can go to the put that d all the way up the ballot, we can do this, im fired up, im fired up, im fired up. [honking] please welcome reverend dr. Mark tyler. My brothers and sisters, the current occupant in the white house has been a disaster for black america. Because of his lack of buryrship, i have had to too many people from covid19 and i have had to sit in virtual chat rooms as people said their farewells by facetime. He has encouraged White Supremacists with his rhetoric and tweets. You cannot be for them and for us at the same time. Honk your horns if you believe that. [honking] i only have a minute left but i want to tell you, the idea that he is the best president for black people since abraham lincoln, even Andrew Jackson had to laugh at that. [honking] President Trump says he likes the good old days before you had to be nice to suspects, when you can rough them up, that is what led to the killing of freddie gray, the killing of breonna taylor, the killing of george floyd, the killing of walter wallace. Enough is enough. We need new leadership with joe biden and Kamala Harris. We need joe biden, a man who knows how to get the economy going, to get the pandemic under control. We need joe biden to appoint Good Supreme Court justices and federal justices based on qualifications, not on their loyalty to him. , when you go to vote on tuesday, vote down ballot. Police accountability is on the ballot. Vote yes on police vote yes to and stop and frisk, vote yes for joe biden and Kamala Harris to fight and win for america. Honk your horns and let me hear you say, amen. [honking] please welcome state representative morgan cephus. How are we doing out there, philadelphia . Love to hear you. Let me hear you. Philadelphia, we have less than 48 hours before we have to show up and get to those polling places because our nation, our country, they are watching us and you know the white house is watching us because he believes that bad things happen in philadelphia. The bad things that are going to happen on tuesday is we are going to have a new white house with the biden and harris ticket. [honking] get in good to trouble because we know what is at stake for this country. We know democracy is on this ticket this time. We know our families that are suffering from covid19, the families that we lost. We know thousands of women had to leave their jobs in order to deal with the pressures of covid19. We know that we have seen businesses shuttered as a result of this economy. We see our front line workers still at risk because we are seeing a new peak and we have seen our schools, hospitals be overburdened because of the lack of leadership in that white house. But we know the cavalry is on its way. We know that the biden harris ticket is on its way. We know with the bidenharris ticket, we will restore leadership, leadership that will listen to experts, that will allow bob to turn the corner on covid19. Allow us to turn the corner on covid19. Leadership that will remind us that we are one america. A leadership that will believe in the form, change, and not the status quo. In reform, change, and not the status quo. We also know that they are going to try to cheat, they are going to try to suppress the vote, they are going to try to ring lawsuits, but guess what . We have been here before. Seen those poll taxes. We have seen the tricks. We have seen all that they have done in order for us not to get to the polls. But get the west but guess what . We are fighters. We have always been fighters. We are going to fight for the soul of this nation, for our mothers, for our daughters, to ensure we are represented in that white house. But we dont just have to fight for the white house, we have to fight for the statehouse because we know when we put democrats in leadership, these are people fighting for working families and not the 1 . Fighting for main street and not wall street. We are fighting for the soul of this nation. We are going to do this together. Meet me at the polls and lets get the job done. [honking] please welcome bishop jay lewis felton. We have gathered up on the baptistround of the church to reclaim the soul of america. The lord has raised us up at this time and in this place. Philadelphia is the birthplace of america but it must now become the place of a spiritual renaissance, the new will, and revival. Separation ofthe church and state and we are separated, but we are not voiced. Divorced, wenot have to exercise our visitation rights, that church and state coming together for a new vision for america. There is nothing that is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Desperationed with for the past four years, thousands of lives, disrespect, disdain for patriotism and for the american people. Let no one question our loyalty to this country. Blood thate first was shed for the freedom of this nation through crispus addicks, 1775. We love america, even when we were on the backseat of buses. We love america, even when crosses were burned and our yards. We love america, even when we were a few the right to vote in considered 3 5 of a person. Biden, a mann joe of freedom, integrity, liberty, justice for all. Now is the time for us, america, to come home to the democratic party. Come home to freedom. Come home to liberty. Vote on tuesday. Not just to win there would we need a just to win, we landslide, bringing america back home to its true ideals and foundation. God bless america. God bless joe biden. God bless Kamala Harris. [honking] please welcome the Sharon Baptist church choir. Praise the lord, everybody. Beat your horns for jesus. Your horns for jesus. Now beep your horns for the victory on tuesday. [honking] come on and sing with those. Forever and ever and ever done for me honor, they all belong to you thank you jesus me blessing we just want to pray ever and ever done for mehave honor, they all belong to you honor,re be glory and they all belong to you honor,re be glory and they all belong to you thank you jesus for blessing me horns for jesus and honk your horns for victory, victory. Come on, here. God, we offer you our prayers because without you, nothing is impossible. Nothing is possible without jesus. My life will lift he is coming from you me peaceou give you give me in times of the storm you are the god almighty you are the strength of my life lift your hands. [singing] Amen Amen AmenAmen Amen Amen amen give it up for jesus. Victory on tuesday. [honking] American History is not a fairytale. Thomas jefferson wrote what many believed to be the most important document in history. He was a slave owner. We have never lived up to our ideals, but what he wrote has pulled us towards justice for more than two centuries. It is always a fight, it is a battle that is never finished. But if donald trump is reelected, he will own the character of this nation. If we give donald trump four more years, this will not be the countries envisioned by washington, the nation bound by lincoln, this will not be the nascent lifted up by roosevelt, inspired by kennedy, it will not be the nation of barack obama, who bends towards justice. I will not let this man be reelected president of the United States of america. [applause] as a reminder, todays event has been set up to adhere to those guidelines as outlined by Health Experts in the state of pennsylvania. Thanks for being here. Obamacare. President obamas historic achievement. A legacy for future generations. Donald trump and even some democrats want to get rid of it. Joe biden will never let that happen. It has changed too many lives and provided to many people with the peace of mind to do anything. Many others want to destroy obamas legacy. Joe biden will build on its. Im joe biden and i approve this message. We are waiting for joe biden to begin speaking at an event with black Church Leaders in philadelphia. This is live coverage on cspan. At her best, america has always been and if i have anything to do with it, we will be again generous, confident, and optimistic nation full of hope and resolve. Is determined to instill fear in america. That is what his campaign has come down to. Fear. Are strongerricans than that. We will be guided by the words of Pope John Paul ii, words drawn from the scriptures, be not afraid. Be not afraid. Fear never builds the future, but hope does. Building the future is what america does. What we have always done. It is what we have done best and continue to do best. This is the United States of america. There is not a single thing beyond our capacity. When we decide to do it together. We are waiting for joe biden to begin speaking at an event with black Church Leaders in philadelphia. This is live coverage on cspan. Fortiere joined by john. Here to talk with us about what to expect heading into election 2006you wrote a book in entitled absentee and early voting trends, promises and perils. That is the story of the 2020 election so far with states like texas and hawaii surpassing their total of 2016. What do you think that massive number of votes means . In 2006,u are right, it was not as interesting to people, but we are talking about it today. We have seen a huge increase in voting by mail as well as early voting in person. 41 of thew population vote before election person iny early person voting. We are seeing an explosion beyond that. We have already seen 92 Million People vote early this as of last night. We are going to see more before election day. Michael mcdonald really deserves credit for keeping these numbers , which just keep expanding and expanding. We will see almost 50 of americans voting by mail. Maybe another 23 or 24 voting early. Just a little bit voting on election day. 23 or 25 . It means big changes in states that are doing very different things. Some of them casting ballots in a new way. One other thing to note is in the past, a lot of votes and in person votes were very close to election day. This started very early. As early as the methods opened up, we saw lots of ballots coming in early, several weeks before. There are going to be some problems with counting. Perhaps some issues and delays. But i do think we are going to run this election, we will see record turnout and we have seen lots of voting by mail and early in person voting. Host what do you think the driving forces are behind the mailin voting, the early voting . Is it the coronavirus, a pushback to some of the critics of mail voting . Guest i think it is the coronavirus. We have seen this trend, so we would have expected some increase anyway. There is a substantial fraction of the population that votes by mail. A lot of western states have been voting by mail for a while. But the coronavirus did really push some people to want to vote by mail. One thing we have seen is a partisan divide over voting by mail, which we have not seen in the past. We have not seen voters saying they were going to vote differently by party. Republicans and democrats used to take advantage of whatever system was available. This time we are seeing more , democrats saying they are going to vote early by vote by mail. The numbers of people in the states that have those registration numbers bear that out. Democrats are voting earlier that way. We are seeing republicans voting more in person and knowing what is left to come in is hard to tell. It certainly was driven by coronavirus, but with different results in the political party. Host did most states that have mailin or early voting, did they start counting ahead of time . Guest no one officially starts counting, but many states do some preparation and even putting ballots into a machine and tabulating and almost ready to press the button to get a final number. That is an issue in this election that we have not talked much about before. Some states, especially with the volume of absentee ballots we are seeing this time, will benefit from being able to start the process earlier. Some of the states we are looking at on Election Night that we might worry about getting a result are states that dont have very much time. There are other factors, whether they count locally or centrally, whether they have done a lot before or not, but again, states that have an earlier time to begin the processing and almost the counting of those ballots are going to be in a better position than states that dont. Host we would love to hear your experiences. We are talking with john fortier with the Bipartisan Policy Center about election day, about early voting as well. If you voted early in person, here is the line to use. 202 7488000. If you are voting on election day on tuesday, 202 7488001. If you have already sent in your ballot, a mailin ballot or absentee, 202 7488002. If you dont plan to vote, 202 7488003. We will get to your calls momentarily. We have not talked about polling places, but i want to read you a piece from the wall street journal. Polling sites brace for a wave, they say that counties have been grappling with in person voting during the pandemic. Many encourage early balloting to thin the crowd on election day but some are adding early voting days and locations. Some counties have turned to unconventional locations like sports stadiums that can maintain social distancing even with big groups. They write that changes have resulted in reduction from 2016 in the total number of polling locations on election day in wisconsin, north carolina, and michigan, analysis from data of secretaries of state and county officials. The journal also obtained data from counties in florida and georgia. What are you anticipating in terms of you said you thought 25 of the vote would happen that day. Will we see long lines that day . Guest weibo have to be seen we will have to see. Lines can be cut by a number of factors. I think the message for people this election to try to cast their vote in an earlier way is a good one. We are probably not going to see the volume of people voting on election day that we have in the past. We dont know the final turnout. We expect it will be high, higher than we have seen in modern history. Again, so many people have voted by mail or early in person that the numbers may be down. It is still worth your while to make a plan to vote. At this point, you are probably either going to hand in your ballot if you have a mail ballot, hopefully it will be to a dropbox or some location. Perhaps you might allow you might early vote. There are a few places that still allow sunday or even monday early voting. Most people are going to go on election day. I do think we are going to see less volume on election day. Again, there are some factors that the states are facing. Harder to run elections, sometimes a polling site might not be able to accommodate as many people with coronavirus restrictions. It will be a balance between how much volume we see coming in on election day versus the issues that the states are having trying to process voters given our coronavirus situation. Host calls next for john fortier. Sophia is first in the bronx and voted early in person. Welcome. Caller yes, good morning. I have a question for you. I will try to be faster. I have a comment for mr. Fortier. I will put forth my question to you. What happened to steve scully . I heard he was, two weeks ago, on friday which i missed it, if you can before the end of the program, if you could let me know what happened, why i do not see him. That was the question for you. Host the address that briefly and you can go on with your comment. Our colleague steve scully is on administrative leave from cspan. Go on with your question or comment. Caller thank you. That means he will come back. Host it is possible. I dont have all the answers, but yes. Caller thank you. Because i love him so much. For mr. Fortier, i wanted to say this. 15 years ago, i used the same word in 2019. The first word i heard from the russians was americans are goodhearted but stupid. I am a conservative republican. If mr. Biden does win more than 150 million votes, im going to believe what they say the russians, 50 years ago, they say we are stupid for this because it is too much. Thank you, thank you. Host any response . Guest well, obviously, we dont know the Election Results and the early voting is suggestive that democrats have gotten out there in the early period. But we do not know what is left. We know republicans are voting more in person relative to the boat that has come in. The vote that has come in. Im not going to say anything about the final results other than i think we will have record high turnout and it will look different because many more people will have voted before election day than on election day. Host you point out that donald trump, one of five president s to win the presidency without winning the popular vote. Those president s, John Quincy Adams in 1824, 1876, rutherford b. Hayes, benjamin harrison, 1888, george w. Bush in 2000, and donald trump had 2. 8 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton in 2016. Claire is in philadelphia and she is going to vote on election day. Go ahead. Caller i am calling from philadelphia. I live in a section of south philadelphia. It was the only section in 2016 that voted for trump. I voted in person. I was born in 1932. I will be 88 years old at the end of the month, the 28th of november. I do not trust the mail and i want to vote in person. I want to make sure my vote is counted. I dont trust i live in a democratic city and democratic state. Believe me, i dont trust anyone so that is why i am voting in , person. Thank you very much. Host clearly, a lot of people are trusting mailin, absentee, and early voting. Guest yeah. A trend. Obviously, our country has different states in different places. Even in recent years, we have states out west almost 100 voting by mail. Other parts of the country are looking more traditional with most voting on election day. I see the trend that many people are voting very early this time. Some who worry about the mail have decided they want to vote either early in person or on election day. You are very likely to have the same polling site as you usually do, although you might want to check that with your registrar of voters. There will be plenty of options to vote on election day, even at this late time. Those are options many people are going to take advantage of all three of those options. Person, early, in early, and voting by mail. Host one of several articles you were quoted in, this is a good news story. Voters turn out early in historic numbers. With us this morning, you are cautionary with viewers not to read too much into what those numbers possibly could mean. How early on Election Night do you think we could begin to see a sign of what the early votes of this massive amount of early voting is meaning . Guest i do think because of the large number of people voting early, also all of the changes that we have made in states to the electoral system and covid, we will have more issues counting the vote. That does not mean we will not get an accurate count, and i believe we will, but there are some states that are going to have a hard time putting out provisional results on Election Night or the day after. Final results never come out until at least a week or sometimes 30 days after the election. The question is what is the margin of victory on Election Night. Hello, hello, hello. [honking]