Harris and Trump Wrap Up Final Campaign Events Before Election Day
The executive director of North Carolina’s elections board made an urgent call to candidates on Monday, urging them to respect the election results. Speaking at a press conference, Karen Brinson Bell highlighted how the state has stepped up its preparations for potential threats this year.
"I just want to urge candidates and election officials to ensure a peaceful transition of power," Brinson Bell said. "Accept the results and concede when necessary." She added that the election process is managed by bipartisan community members who have pledged to ensure accurate results.
Some election offices have even installed panic buttons and secured entrances as a precaution, she noted. "I've been working in elections for almost 19 years," Brinson Bell said, "and for most of my career, post-election hostility, threats, and harassment were not something we prepared for—but it's become a reality."
She mentioned that officials in battleground states like Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan faced similar threats after the 2020 election. “We’ve learned from their experiences and worked on building relationships with law enforcement,” she said. “It’s like an insurance policy we hope we’ll never need to use.”
Despite these security measures, Brinson Bell emphasized the state’s commitment to transparency. She invited anyone with questions to observe the processes, like checks on tabulator systems and canvass meetings where results are reviewed.
"Understand why we can confidently certify these elections," she encouraged.
Meanwhile, shares of former President Donald Trump’s social media company saw a significant surge on Monday, the day before the U.S. presidential election. Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT), the company behind Truth Social, jumped 16% in value.
The stock has been highly volatile since its launch in March, initially quadrupling over five weeks, then dropping by 41% in the last three trading sessions. Traders have come to use Trump’s stock as a rough gauge of his perceived reelection chances. Unlike its larger competitors like X, TikTok, and Instagram, Trump’s company remains small, with its stock moves less reflective of business fundamentals than political sentiment.
Though polls show the race is tight, recent trends in online betting markets have shown a slight edge for Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris. Analysts say this has contributed to the boost in Trump stock. Conversely, when Harris’s chances improved in the betting markets, Trump’s stock saw a sharp decline, leading to a $2.4 billion drop in his net worth from Wednesday to Friday, erasing a substantial portion of gains he had made in the past month.
Monday’s stock gains, however, added roughly half a billion dollars back to Trump’s net worth.
