Vice President Kamala Harris will make her closing argument on the Ellipse lawn Tuesday evening. There will be several road closures along with other events in downtown D.C., including the High Heel Race and the Capitals-Rangers game. News4’s Juliana Valencia shows what security measures have been put in place and when closures go into effect.
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver her closing argument to voters Tuesday evening just a short walk from the White House.
The D.C. rally on the Ellipse may attract more than 52,000 people, D.C. Chief of Police Pamela Smith said Tuesday morning that organizers told her.
Overflow crowds will be directed to the northeast grounds of the Washington Monument.
The Ellipse is where former President Donald Trump held his Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021, shortly before members of the audience stormed the Capitol.
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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. The initial permit was amended, according to the National Park Service.
Harris is working to turn the election into a referendum on the Trump era, which she will lay out as a decade of division and chaos, a senior Harris campaign official told NBC News.
Trump will deliver remarks Tuesday evening in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which his campaign billed as his final message to voters.
Attendees can enter the gates starting at 3 p.m.
Preparations on the Ellipse were underway over the weekend, with crews readying fencing, protective flooring and more.
Those hoping to attend were told to RSVP on the Harris-Waltz campaign website. The gates are expected to open at 3 p.m. and Harris is expected to start her speech at 7:15 p.m. The event is set to end at about 9 p.m.
Harris will aim to address voters' economic concerns and highlight her specific proposals aimed at lowering costs, strengthening the middle class and raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy, according to a campaign official.
Road closures to expect in downtown DC
Make sure to plan ahead if you're going to be out and about in downtown D.C. Tuesday afternoon and night. Along with the rally, the annual High Heel Race will take place on 17th Street NW, and a Capitals-Rangers game will take place in Chinatown.
Here's a list of road closures and parking restrictions that D.C. police put in place ahead of the rally.
The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic Tuesday from about noon to 10 p.m.:
- 17th Street from H Street NW to Independence Avenue SW
- 15th Street from F Street NW to Independence Avenue SW
- Jefferson Drive from 14th to 15th Street SW
- Madison Drive from 14th to 15th Street NW
- Constitution Avenue from 14th to 18th Street NW
- C Street from 17th to 18th Street NW
- D Street from 17th to 18th Street NW
- E Street from 17th to 18th Street NW
- F Street from 17th to 18th Street NW
- G Street from 17th to 18th Street NW
- New York Avenue from 17th to 18th Street NW
- E Street from 14th to 15th Street NW
- Pennsylvania Avenue from 17th to 18th Street NW
- Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th to 15th Street NW (local hotel traffic only)
- Road closures and times are subject to change, police said.
Road closures and times are subject to change, police said.
Drivers could hit delays in the area and may want to seek alternate routes. Police and transportation officials also are warning drivers to be careful due to increased foot traffic.
Drivers also should expect parking restrictions, police said. Any vehicles parked in violation of the "Emergency No Parking" signs will be ticketed and towed.
The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday:
- 17th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Avenue NW
- Constitution Avenue from 14th Street to 18th Street NW
- 15th Street from F Street to Constitution Avenue NW
Less than a week away from Election Day
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. All D.C. police districts will be fully staffed and all officers will be on 12-hour shifts with a focus on ballot boxes and polling locations starting on Nov. 4.
Check out our voting guides for Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.:
