Live election updates: 80 million have voted early as Trump, Harris sprint to finish

The nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization has sent out 600,000 text messages to ask American Muslim voters to vote on Election Day. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has been targeting Muslim voters across the country, including those in key swing states.

CAIR has not endorsed a candidate and will not do so as a 501(c)(3) organization. However, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement, "Turnout numbers for our community so far are promising, but they need to be much higher. We encourage all remaining American Muslim voters to show up on Election Day."

Acknowledging some Muslim American's views on the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, Awad acknowledged that many may be "disillusioned and frustrated due to U.S. support for Israel's genocide in Gaza."

"But sitting on the sidelines of this election will not help the people of Gaza or anyone else," Awad said. "Elected officials take communities seriously when they fully participate in the political process, including by exercising their right to vote. No matter who you support, showing up to vote is a display of political strength."

In recent months, some Muslim American activists have called on Muslim Americans to mobilize as a way of leveraging the community's power post-election.

The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit against the Milwaukee Election Commission on Monday, accusing the city agency of "arbitrarily limiting observers" at polling places.

The RNC alleged that the Milwaukee Election Commission limited the number of observers at some early voting sites to only one observer per political party, in violation of state law. During the early voting period, access was limited at three polling locations, according to the lawsuit.

"Interest in this election is at unprecedented levels in American history, as that has generated corresponding interest in observing the voting process in the City of Milwaukee," the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, the Milwaukee Election Commission plans to continue limiting the total number of observers on Election Day depending on the "space, access, number of voters, and other prevailing circumstances" at polling locations.

The RNC is asking the court to order the Milwaukee Election Commission "to allow the public to observe all public aspects of the voting process."

Representatives for the Milwaukee Election Commission could not be immediately reached for comment.

In September, the RNC filed a lawsuit against the city of Racine, Wisconsin for not hiring enough Republican election inspectors for this summer's primary election.

Former President Donald Trump kicked off his final day on the campaign trail Monday at a poorly attended rally in North Carolina, where the venue was at least a third empty.

Sparsely populated to begin with, dozens of people left the venue in a steady stream throughout the rambling, unfocused speech.

At one point, Trump told North Carolinians who are desperately waiting for help after hurricane devastation to "sit back and relax" until he takes office.

"Those people, they better get that FEMA here fast. But we're going to on Jan. 20," Trump said. "Just tell everybody to sit back, relax. On Jan. 20, you'll see people come in and help you out like we did in the past."

Tim Walz called on voters in battleground Wisconsin to vote for an "optimistic" future during a rally in La Crosse.

"This election could be won, quite literally, through the state of Wisconsin, and it could be won right here through La Crosse," Harris' running mate said. "That's how close this thing could be. So we're taking nothing for granted."

Walz addressed policies he and Harris will focus on, including working to lower the cost of living for middle class Americans, addressing price gouging on groceries and making reproductive rights enshrined into law.

He said they have an opportunity to vote for "a future that either goes backwards -- is divisive, dark and angry -- or one that is hopeful, unified, inclusive."