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Former President Obama visits Charlotte to rally Kamala Harris supporters

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a rally for Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Oct. 22, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin polls open today for in-person early voting.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images North America/TNS)
By Mary Ramsey and Nora O’Neill The Charlotte Observer

Former President Barack Obama will be in Charlotte Friday to rally supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president.

The Friday evening rally in uptown will feature “special guests” and is likely to cause traffic delays and road closures. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department hasn’t released any specific road closures or areas to avoid, but police typically block roads temporarily before and immediately after motorcades roll through.

Obama is the last Democratic presidential candidate to win North Carolina, and his Friday appearance aims to help make Harris the second Democrat to win North Carolina’s electoral votes since Jimmy Carter. Obama previously rallied Harris supporters in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia.

His visit comes during a record-setting early voting period in North Carolina, which has already surpassed 2 million ballots cast, according to the State Board of Elections. Most of those are in-person votes cast at early voting sites across the state.

Polls continue to show a tight race in North Carolina and nationwide. Former President Donald Trump leads Harris in North Carolina by less than a point, and Harris leads nationally by under 1%, according to RealClearPolitics’ averages.