Crews were seen erecting fences and staging near the National Mall one day before Vice President Kamala Harris’ election rally. News4’s Megan McGrath reports.
Update: The D.C. rally on the Ellipse may attract more than 52,000 people, D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith said Tuesday that organizers told her. Go here for updates.
In the shadow of the White House on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a closing argument to the American people as to why she should be elected the next president of the United States.
Some 20,000 people are expected to attend the rally on the Ellipse between E Street NW, Constitution Avenue NW, 15th and 17th streets NW, according to an approved permit from the National Park Service. Overflow crowds will be directed to the northeast grounds of the Washington Monument.
The number of expected attendees swelled from 8,000 on the initial permit, and the Harris-Walz campaign was advertising the event on social media platforms such as Instagram as of Sunday morning.
Gates will open to the public Tuesday at 3 p.m. The program is expected to begin around 7 p.m. and end around 9 p.m., the permit says.
D.C. police on Monday released a list of parking restrictions and road closures for Tuesday's event; you can see them here.
Preparations on the Ellipse were underway over the weekend with crews readying fencing, protective flooring and more. The Ellipse is home to the National Christmas Tree. It was also the site of former president Donald Trump's infamous Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021 that preceded the insurrection at the Capitol.
Decision 2024
Harris is locked in a statistical dead heat with Trump, polling shows, with just over a week to go until Election Day. The vice president; her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and high-profile surrogates from Michelle Obama to Liz Cheney to Beyoncé are calling on voters to cast ballots for the Democrat.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. We have voting guides for Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.:
