Pence, Harris to face off in VP debate: US election live news

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will face off in their only vice-presidential debate on Wednesday, after a spat over the event’s coronavirus precautions. Donald Trump and Joe Biden are set to lay low, with the president as of Monday “not an entirely out of the woods” with his coronavirus infection. Early voting begins in Arizona, a battleground that has become increasingly competitive for Biden. With Trump still recovering from the coronavirus, the next steps for his campaign remain uncertain with 27 days left until the November 3 election. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the United States elections. This is Joseph Stepansky. Wednesday, October 7: 11:30 ET – Texas high court blocks Houston plan to offer mail ballots The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that 2 million Houston voters cannot receive unsolicited mail ballot applications from local elections officials, who have sought to expand ways to vote in November in the nation’s third-largest county. The decision by the all-Republican court is the latest defeat in a string of losses for Democrats whose efforts to change Texas voting laws during the coronavirus pandemic have largely failed. Polls show unusually tight races this year in America’s biggest red state, intensifying battles over voting access. Texas is one of just five states not allowing widespread mail-in voting this year. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has resisted calls to expand eligibility and courts have sided with GOP leaders who say fear of catching COVID-19 doesn’t qualify voters for mail-in ballots. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">