shep >> dasha burns live in grand rapids. >>> sometimes history helps us makes sense of what's happening right now, and historians can help us see the forest for the trees now and then michael beschloss is nbc news presidential historian he's here to give us context michael, good evening and thanks. >> glad to be with you. >> context is there any historical reference that gives us insight on what happened last night, anything like that ever before >> i wish i could give you one, shep, but you go through all of history, you'll never find a fall presidential debate that got this far out of control. president trump obviously went into this, thinking that, you know, he would try to dominate and speak through joe biden and the result was that a lot of what biden said was drowned out. you and i both know chris wallace was put in a very difficult position because the rule ds not allow him to turn off anyone's microphone. >> around the world, is there an analogy, is there a comparison to another world leader acting in this way? >> well, i think it resembles the kind of countries that americans u

our continuing county to county reporter dasha burns in western p.a.haquille brewster is in milwaukee county, wisconsin. you're in a former democratic stronghold that's been red for the last three elections. what are people saying there today? >> reporter: yeah, andrea, this is an area you used to find a lot of blue collar democratic voters working in the steel mills. but that industry left, and left a lot of folks disillusioned. you see republicans have better and better margins here over the years. but in 2016 donald trump ran away with it, he won by 19 points. one issue he's done well on here that came up in a big way last night is natural gas and fracking. this is an area where a lot of folks have connected the economic resurge surgsurge ency local businesses. katy is a mom here in beaver county who worked in oil and natural gas for ten years. take a listen to what she thought about last night. >> to hear him voice his opinions on the energy industry and how he wants to be zero emissions, umm, all i can -- all i can think about is that is going to

nbc's dasha burns is in kent county, michigan. owing a michigan activist recruiting poll watchers. also joining me is nbc's tom winter with some new reporting on election day concerns from law enforcement. dasha, i'll start with you on the ground there in michigan. what are you hearing from an activist that you talked to, i understand? >> reporter: hey, craig, yeah, we followed a man named adam in his grassroots effort to recruit poll watchers and challengers at a trump rally over the weekend here in west michigan. he thought it'd be a great place to find like-minded individuals who were eager to get involved. he was a popular man with the crowds waiting for the president. in talking with those folks, it was clear that the president's repeated calls to go to the polls and watch carefully, which he repeated again at the rally over the weekend, those calls are resonating deeply with his supporters, and are resulting in newly engaged individuals. first-time poll watchers who are not yet familiar with the process, don't know exactly wh

>> dasha burns, people learning the hard way what the new rules are in pennsylvania. shaq and ellison, thank you all. we'll be checking in quite a bit between now and election day. >>> we have more out of the pentagon and who is in quarantine. we'll sneak in a quick break. keep it here. i don't have silent. everyone does -- right up here. it happens to all of us. we buy a new home, and we turn into our parents. what i do is help new homeowners overcome this. what is that, an adjustable spanner? good choice, steve. okay, don't forget you're not assisting him. you hired him. if you have nowhere to sit, you have too many. who else reads books about submarines? my dad. yeah. oh, those are -- progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. look at that. don't settle for silver #1 for diabetic dry skin* #1 for psoriasis symptom relief* and #1 for eczema symptom relief* gold bond champion your skin and at fidelity, you'll get planning and advice to help you prepare for the future, without sacrificing wha

dasha burns, pennsylvania, von hilliard, arizona. but first, let geese live to milwaukee with shaq brewster. >> reporter: shep, i'll tell you the interest is high, each in milwaukee. 1.2 million ballots already sent out. more than 550,000 voters have already cast a ballot, and i spent my day here in milwaukee talking to those so-called vanishing voters, voters who voted in 2012 but stayed home in 2016 president trump won this state by 23,000 votes, but there are about 41,000 voters here in milwaukee alone who did not cast their ballot after previously voting many of them telling me they regret their decision then, but they are saying with the coronavirus and police brutality as they see it, they are committing to coming out and voting this time around. based on those early numbers that we saw, it looks like they are letting their voice be heard, and they are going to have some success in that regard shep >> from milwaukee, shaq brewster tonight. in arizona, voting starts tomorrow and a new poll shows president trump is losing ground

joining me now from kent county, nbc news reporter dasha burns. 's talk about this reversal which creates a good deal of concern among michigan officials. obviously michigan is where you had the march on lansing, on the capital, long guns, and of course the threat against the governor. >> reporter: yeah, andrea, this topic has been very much in the spotlight in this state. the attorney general here has appealed that ruling to the michigan supreme court. in announcing that move she cited a recent poll from the detroit news and wvie that showed the majority of michigan voters do not support open carry at the polls, they do not want to see guns in the voting areas on election day. andrea, the people who ultimately will be on the front lines of this thing are the local clerks and the precinct chairs. i've been speaking to those folks and they tell me they're being put in the middle here and they're in a tough spot, with this issue up in the air on election day. they're fielding concerns from voters and election workers. he want you to hear from peggy s

is learn i nbc's dasha burns is live in grand rapids for us. you've been following one activist who wants to recruit, as he puts it, others to protect the vote. d he >> reporter: adam figured he would find some folks who are eager to participate he was right he was a pretty popular figure with that crowd. it was clear the president's repeated calls to go and watch carefully are resonating deeply with his supporters. many folks we met were pretty skeptical of the election system, and they wanted to take it upon themselves to try to ensure a safe election listen to what we heard. >> when we get people outside the system of political power that keeps them afraid, i feel truly we'll have people uncovering wrongdoing that has not been uncovered before. >> i want to protect the integrity of our election, make sure there's no cheating going on. >> watching, making sure they're voting correctly, you know, that they're going through the process. one vote, one person >> shep, michigan is an open-carry state, but on friday state officials announced a ban

nbc's dasha burns is in michigan.hrough what played out, and what's been the reaction to what played out. >> reporter: hey, craig, we saw firsthand how this deep divide is actually man testing on the ground in this politically critical area where the tensions and the stakes are especially high. both these groups were on opposite sides idea lolgically. from what we saw and heard, both groups brought firearms, feared for their safety and believed the other side was sowing divisiveness. they brought weapons for protection as they exercised their rights. of course, craig, election day was not far from anyone's mind. on the right, more concern about protecting the vote. on the left, more concerned about protecting the voters. interestingly, craig, both sets of concerns leading to similar action. hoping to show up november 3rd at the polls to do more than vote. at the american patriot council there were individuals recruiting poll watchers and challen challengers, justice for black lives, signing up to be poll buddies to go

andrea. >> dasha burns in michigan.>>> joining us valerie jarrett senior adviser to president obama. her book is called "finding my voice." it's out now and it's a great read, so find it. valerie, thanks for being with us. >> thank you, andrea. >> just catch my breath that the whole idea of these michigan militia members, some already, as you know, not these people but some have been charged with trying to kidnap stand execute the governor of michigan for covid regulations. now they are talking about wanting to bring guns to the polling places. if they are going to observe this ban on it, they are still going to try to watch the polls. how intimidating will this be for minority voters or others who are afraid to vote. >> it can be very intimidating, andrea. that's why we have to continue to show up, make a plan. if you can vote early, do so. don't wait until the last minute and certainly do not let anybody intimidate you. i think what president trump is doing is fueling anxiety about the integrity of our election. in th

the new monmouth poll showing him ahead in this state by 12 states. >> shep. >> dasha burns wrapping our trip across the ballot grounds. >>> the heart away debate is set for tomorrow in salt lake city first, they go ahead on safety restrictions there is a controversy now over having plexiglass on the stage only in corona vice president pence says he doesn't want that on his side. the commission on presidential debate still installing them on to the stage tonight they say it helps prevent the spread of the virus, but the vp and the senator kamala harris will be 12 feet apart. so pence's team says accurately that that means the dividers are not medically necessary, so says the cdc. the campaigns and the debate commission are expected to discuss this issue later tonight, and you can watch the debate tomorrow at 9:00 eastern on nbc >>> the covid outbreak in the white house and highest levels of our national government keep spreading, and now it reach the pentagon, and there's a late breaker. nbc news confirms some of america's top generals are self-quarantining after the coast guard seco

our dasha burns is in beaver county, pennsylvania, talking to some of those voters as part of our countyty series. beaver county has voted republican since 2008 by an increasing margin. dasha, what did those voters tell you this morning? >> reporter: craig donald trump turned this county deep red in 2016 and spoke to reporters to get reaction. i heard a big sense of relief from a lot of the folks i talk to. the word calm came up in just about every one of my interviews. it's something people seemed eager for after what they saw last week. some of his supporters were pretty disappointed with the president's performance in that debate. many told me they want him to take cues from mike pens before the next debate. one ctopic that struck a cord i fracking and the green new deal. a few miles up the road there's a massive plant that has brought thousands of jobs to this area. this hits home here. i want you to listen to how that part of the debate played with voters i spoke to. >> i'm a big supporter of drilling, drilling for natural gas here. i was really disappointed with kamala harris sayin

each blamed each other for stirring divisions nbc's dasha burns is there in michigan good morning. >> reporter: hey, frances, what we saw over the weekend is the example of how these deep divisions are actually manifesting on the ground in this politically critical area where tensions and stakes are incredibly high. i want to play for our viewers just an example of what we saw and heard. listen. >> look. as a person of color, it's a fact that we often are intimidated just exercising our constitutional rights, and i think it takes a strong person -- another of color, to empower another person and they feel weak. >> just the fact there is millions more votes in a way that this state has never dealt with before. so as a citizen, i want to be involved in the process, and that's part of my constitutional rights by getting involved versus being kind of a bystander and, oh, it will just work out. >> reporter: and, of course, not far from anyone's mind was election day on the right i heard a lot of concern about protecting the vote on the left, a lot of concern about protecting the voters. th

joining me is dasha burns in grand rapids, michigan.et's talk about how officials there are reacting to this legal fight over the ban, and do election workers and volunteers have clear guidance at this point about what to do if individuals show up with guns? >> hey, ayman. that's a great question. the answer is not exactly, which is a bit of a challenge here. there have just been so many developments in the story over the last couple days. in the last couple hours, the attorney general announced at a press conference they have already filed an appeal as of this morning, but even before that ruling, ayman, local officials here in kent county were planning to buck that ban on open carry. the county prosecutor called it invalid, said the secretary of state and the attorney general didn't have the authority to issue that order. i spoke to the county clerk here and the elections director, and they said that they have not been instructing their clerks and election workers to enforce the ban. i want you to hear from county clerk lyons on the i

narrowly won michigan in 2016, but there are signs he could face a tougher battle this year nbc's dasha burns has more from grand rapids good morning >> hey, lindsey. i'm coming up on my one-year anniversary of talking to voters here in kent county for our county series. and the developments i've seen here have been fascinating donald trump did win kent county back in 2016 he won it by a pretty narrow margin, though, and if democrats are able to flip it to blue this time around it could actually be in part because of some of the republican voters in this county this is the hometown of gerald ford and i've spoken to a lot of folks who call themselves gerry ford republicans this is a slice of the electorate we've been focused on here they tell me they're feeling increasingly less at home with the republican party and they've been looking to the democrats to see if maybe that could be a new home for them. i want you to hear from a woman named katie moore. she's a mom of two here. she voted for donald trump in 2016 she's come to regret that vote since then but i want you to hear what she's planni

. >> joining me from grand rapids, michigan is dasha burns.resident is asking for poll watchers. what are you hearing in response? >> hey, katy, we followed a local activist, former elected official and current militia member at that rally recruiting folks to be poll watchers and challengers. he figured that would be a great place to get individuals involved and he was not wrong. he was ap popular figure in that crowd waiting for the president. talking to those folks we heard the message the president is sending, the calls to watch the polls and watch closely that's resonating with his supporters. we heard a lot of distrust of the electoral system and folks who want to take it upon themselves to safeguard the vote, resulting in people who are first timers to poll watching, don't necessarily know how the system works. anyone in michigan can be a poll watcher but they can't be in the voting area and they have limit limited abilities. there are poll challengers that have to be designated by the party and trained officially. a lot weren't sure abo

joining me now from grand rap s rapids, michigan is dasha burns who has done reporting on this topic.ha, this has been going back and forth. heavily armed people can hang around polling stations? >> not quite the last step, ali. that is a challenge for election workers. the attorney general appealed that ruling to the state supreme court and announcing that move citing a poll from the detroit news and wdiv tv. the majority of michigan voters do not support open carry at the polls. 73% say they don't want to see guns near voting areas. there have been headlines that alarmed people in the community. just last weekend, ali, i was at duelling rallies where groups on left and right brought firearms and that raised tension and concerns. the folks on the frontlines of this are the local clerks and precinct chairs. i have talked to those folks. they feel like they are put in the middle here and they are in a tough spot as the issue is very much in the spotlight. there is not yet a lot of clarity. they are left to their own devices on how to handle this. i want you to hear from the clerk about

let me start with dasha, burns, talking about where voters stand and the issues that came up. >> beaverc stronghold. donald trump won this area by almost 20 points in 2016. a few decades ago this was an area with a lot of union jobs tied to the steel industry. that industry left and devastated this area. it's been recently coming back. there are folks here that credit that comeback to fracking and natural gas. in fact, just down the road here there's a major plant being built that is bringing thousands of jobs to the area and boosting local businesses on the main strip in downtown beaver. when energy came up, the ears here in western pennsylvania perked up. take a listen to just some of what we heard from voters this morning. >> it's hard for me to hear when politicians use it as a bargaining chip. i don't think a lot of them understand the science of it and how much it is benefitting the area. >> do you think the president has a good handle on it? do you trust donald trump with this issue? >> i think he's been here. he's been to the shell cracker plant, to the drill sites. >> i think j

joining me now, nbc news reporter dasha burns from carnegie mellon university in pittsburgh. a, what are you hearing about gen z voters and whether they plan to vote? >> reporter: andrea, we talked to students at carnegie mellon and university of pittsburgh down the road. these are young voters getting a college education and they're getting that education in a critical battleground state. so most of the students we spoke with seemed to grasp the gravity of this election, some were lukewarm on both candidates. most leaned toward joe biden. take a listen to some of what we heard. >> i've been watching the debates and registered, trying to get our friends to register. >> due to some of the situations that have arrived recently, specifically coronavirus and racial tensions, i've been a lot more interested in this election. >> i'm not very interested because of the two candidates. but, i mean, i have to vote. it's my duty as a citizen. >> hopeful but scared for this election for sure. >> if you don't have hope, you don't have anything. i think that's the one thing i've tried to ke

dasha burns is in grand rapids, michigan. vaughn hillyard is in las vegas. you've been talking to suburban voters in michigan especially. what are they telling you this morni morning? >> reporter: i've been talking to voters across the political spectrum, they've all been wishing him well and concerned about his health. they pointed out irony that just on tuesday the president was openly mocking joe biden for wearing a mask, for taking safety recautions and now he has been affected. jerry voted for trump in 2016 and he's now undecided and greg davis, a supporter of joe biden. take a liss zblen does this do anything to change your perception of the president or of the state of the race at all? >> of the president a little bit. i think his campaigning, his being out there on the road, being around those people might have been a little bit careless. >> this is a virus that has hit the plat community particularly hard. do you think this could change the way that the president, the way his campaign, his administration approaches this? >> i think it will. one out

but dasha burns, let me just say, happy anniversary there, and it's not just a snapshot you're giving total turnaround. thank you. >>> what do we know from people covering both campaigns? we'll talk to someone who knows, next. we'll talk to someone who knows, next ♪ since pioneering the suv in 1935, the chevy suburban has carried many things. nothing more important than family. introducing the most versatile and advanced chevy suburban and tahoe ever. ♪ ♪ [ engines revving ] ♪ it's amazing to see them in the wild like th-- shhh. [ engine revs ] for those who were born to ride, there's progressive. diabetes and raised triglycerides,... ...vascepa can give you something to celebrate. ♪ vascepa, when added to your statin,... ...is clinically proven to provide 25% lower risk from heart attack and stroke. vascepa is clearly different. first and only fda approved. celebrate less risk. even for those with family history. ♪ don't take vascepa if you are... ...or become allergic to icosapent ethyl or any inactive ingredient in vascepa. serious side effects may occur like heart rhythm problems

joining me now from beaver county county, pennsylvania is dasha burns.ing it over there? >> reporter: i actually have one of the key voices from that meeting here with me today. this is sheriff tony guy, and sheriff, you told me this election is pretty different from those of the past. how so, and how are you and your deputies preparing to deal with some of these new challenges? >> very good. just the contentiousness of this election this year is at a level that i don't think i've ever seen before, so we're basically going to double our ability, double our staffing and our ability to respond and react to any incidence that may occur at the polling places. our dpogoal is to make sure thee safe places where people can go and vote, exercise their voting rights without feeling intimidated or overly influenced in any way by people. >> one of the big questions everyone is asking about is masks. to what extent will masks be enforced at polling places? >> masks, you cannot deny someone their right to vote because they don't have a mask on, so there will be no ma

dasha burns on the ground for us. >>> up next, we'll speak with a democratic candidate hoping to flip seat in georgia in a race that could go well past election night. a race that could go well past election night or could things go a different way? i wanted to help protect myself. my doctor recommended eliquis. eliquis is proven to treat and help prevent another dvt or pe blood clot. almost 98 percent of patients on eliquis didn't experience another. -and eliquis has significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. eliquis is fda-approved and has both. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily- and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase y

. >> reporter: i'm dasha burns in michigan about 2.5 million michigan voters have already turned in their ballots. that's about half of the 5 million total turnout in the 2008 presidential election, which was the highest turnout in michigan history so far, this poll shows joe biden leading in this state. he's also outspending the president in ads here. covid cases have been on the rise in michigan and across the midwest, which could give a boost to biden the former vice president will need to turn out the black vote here he will also need to get some moderate republicans, like those in the suburbs of grand rapids to vote blue >> i'm brian sullivan in rochester, minnesota a state where both candidates will appear in today in a late-stage push to swing voters their way. economy, health care, and issues of racial justice at the top of mind for voters, with 1.7 million absentee ballots already having been requested here in minnesota in a state where both candidates want and both candidates may need. >> thank you, brian, and all of you in those battlegrounds >>> with less than four days to go,

. >> that was nbc's dasha burns reporting. >>> what about young adults who are old enough to vote andds to the polls, too? we'll meet three college students voting in their first presidential election, when we come back. come back. false alarm. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ one ups the cleaning power of liquid. can it one up spaghetti night? it sure can. really? can it one up breakfast in bed? yeah, for sure. thanks, boys. what about that? uhh, yep! it can? yeah, even that! i would very much like to see that. me too. tide pods ultra oxi. one up the toughest stains with 50% more cleaning power than liquid detergent. any further questions? uh uh! nope! one up the power of liquid with tide pods ultra oxi. (fisherman vo)ce) how do i register to vote?ential election... hmm!.. hmm!.. hmm!.. (woman on porch vo) can we vote by mail here? (grandma vo) you'll be safe, right? (daughter vo) yes! (four girls vo) the polls! voted! (grandma vo) go out and vote! it's so important! (man at poll vo) woo! (grandma vo) it's the most important thing you can do! sprint

dasha burns is in one of the must-win counties. i was there earlier this year. asha, what are you hearing from election officials there? >> hey, stephanie. good morning. later today, county officials including county commissioners, workers at the elections bureau and the county sheriff will be meeting here at the beaver county courthouse to try and tackle a plan for how to assure safety at the polls. this is the meeting that will likely be the first of many. and it came about from questions from voters around safety and security and officials here want to ensure everyone feels comfortable exercising their right to vote on election day. now 2020 has created some unique conditions that could pose some challenges at the 129 polling places across beaver county and the many more across the state of pennsylvania. there's, of course, covid-19. how do you ensure folks are following safety protocols, including social distancing and mask wearing especially as covid itself has become a political issue. but there are also questions around voter intimidation and conflict as t

she joins us now from raleigh, north carolina, and dasha burns getting reaction from suburban voters in kent county, michigan, one of the five key battleground counties that could swing this election. chris, you are constantly on the hunt for the yetis, the unicorns, the four-leaf clovers. i can't believe there are undecided voters left, but you find them. what did you learn? >> here there are only about 1% or 2% of those so they're not easy to find. these three guys are exactly the kind of guys that keep both campaigns awake at night especially in north carolina where it's still a toss-up. they still think there could be an october surprise. something, even the trump supporter, something between now and the election that could change their mind. and frame this election classically as the choice of the lesser of two evils. take a listen. >> it's a choice between who do you want to steer america into an iceberg? a right wing authoritarian or left wing demagogue. >> my takeaway from the town hall is biden was very indirect when asked any questions. he talked around it. i felt like trum

nbc's dasha burns got an earful in the battleground state of michigan in the wake of thursday's dueling town hall events. >> you've got a person on one hand, president trump, who raises your blood pressure when you watch him. you have joe biden on the other hand who is calm and collected and is truly answering the questions and is interested to hear what the voters actually have to say. versus trump is very defensive, constantly, and can't answer a straight question. and that's really frustrating to see. >> and in the reliably red state of texas, here is why one voter says he's sticking with the president. >> i find neither of the candidates personally attractive. however, the actual results of trump's policies have been good. they've been good for minorities. they've been good for the economy. so i'll be voting for trump while holding my nose. >> holding his nose. so my colleague morgan radford headed to florida this week, a crucial swing state that trump narrowly won in 2016 but is currently losing to biden in polls. both candidates are fighting to win over voters. >> reporter: when y

dasha burns is in beaver, pennsylvania, outside pittsburgh. what's the latest from pennsylvania? >> reporter: well, this is pennsylvania's first presidential election with no excuse absentee voting. about 3 million absentee ballots have been mailed out. about half of those have already been returned, but remember, it could be days if not longer before we get results from the state because election officials here can't begin to start opening those millions of envelopes until election day. still, chris, many are planning to go to the polls in person on november 3rd, including some of the folks i have been talking to here today to get their reaction to that final presidential debate, and one of the big moments that is hitting home for people here is that conversation on energy: bind ehind me here, shell cracker plant bringing thousands of jobs to the area and there are a lot of voters in western p.a. who have some connection to the industry. the response is that joe biden muddled his response, he needs to take a clearer stance on fracking. that could be important here because donald

we find sasha burns in kent county, michigan, she has been talking to voters off and on, so dasha, ass decision time for many voters at this point. maybe eighth decisive time at this point. maybe they're not waiting for one more debate. what are you finding? >> reporter: well, chuck, i'm in the ep pe center of suburbia here. it's an apple orchard. i smell the apple orchard donuts. there is a corn maze down the road. we have been focusing on the jerry ford republicans as so many call themselves here. the tough questions that they've had to wrestle with over the course of this election cycle. now, the group that i have been following. there is only one undecided voter still left. the others have decided they are going to vote for joe biden. chuck, here's the interesting part, they're also, i spoke to three today who told me not only are they voting for biden, but th voting blue up and down the ballot for the first time in their lives. most split a ticket usually have gone republican so this is significant. i want you to hear from one of those voters. he actually has already submitted hi

nbc's dasha burns is there as part of our county to county series. with beaver county officials about those concerns. dasha, what are you hearing? >> reporter: steve, right now in this building behind me you've got the county commissioners, folks from the elections bureau, the county sheriff all sitting down talking about safety at the polls. they're wrestling with some issues that are pretty unique to 2020. this is a meeting that came out of voter concerns, calls and emails they were getting. they want to ensure everyone is comfortable exercising their voting rights. between covid and the high tensions in this race, they've got some challenges ahead that they need to figure out. take a listen to what the county commissioner, jackmaning, told me about some of the issues they're dealing with. >> every election day there's one or two anomalies that go wrong where somebody shows up with an inappropriate shirt or does something or says something inappropriately in line or tries to assert their second amendment right. i think covid adds a different dimens