But he said there’s no lack of enthusiasm among Republican voters, either. He has been particularly focused on encouraging Republicans to vote by mail, an area Democrats dominated in 2020. While Biden won Erie by just over a single percentage point in 2020, he won 75% of the county's mail-in ballots. The same dynamic played out for Democrats in the 2022 midterms and 2023 state judicial elections.

Democrats still hold a substantial lead in mail-in ballots requested this time around, but Eddy said the GOP is narrowing the gap.

“What I think is if Donald Trump can focus on the issues, the policies that he wants to implement, that things will go very well,” he said.

Across Erie, Democrats and Republicans alike tell us they’re worried about the economy. But Democrats also list abortion and protecting democracy as top priorities, while Republicans consistently say it’s the border.

“We’ve got 10, 15 million people coming into this country that we’re paying for,” said 82-year-old Trump supporter Rich Pisano.

Pisano also echoed false claims by Trump that these noncitizen immigrants are voting in U.S. elections. It’s one of several ways Trump is laying the groundwork to cast doubt on any election results that don’t declare him the winner.

Twenty-year-old Lacey Buswell is a student at Pennsylvania Western University’s Edinboro campus. She’s a Harris supporter who is concerned about protecting reproductive rights, and is turned off by Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

“He convinces people to follow ideologies that don't necessarily make sense or have any groundings,” Buswell said. “Like the stuff that happened in Springfield — it's kind of like fear mongering a lot. A lot of his stuff is not facts, and I don't like liars.”

Mook, the previously undecided voter who was raised in a conservative and religious household, said she’s also been turned off by the GOP’s language and hardline stances.

“Every other word that comes out of the Republican's mouth, I feel like is just bullying,” she said. 

Mook, who works in health care and is studying to become a therapist, said she is feeling the squeeze of higher prices. But she doesn’t put the blame on Harris.

Thirty-six-year-old mother of two Jamie Billige said higher prices are one factor driving her vote for Trump. 

“It's insane to raise a family right now, trying to buy groceries or afford anything, really,” Billige said. “Saving is virtually impossible. And I have a good job.”

Billige, who spoke to NPR while waiting to enter a Trump rally in downtown Erie, said she is also worried about immigration and crime. And she isn’t bothered by Trump’s varied legal troubles.

Supporters celebrate the arrival of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Bayfront Convention Center on September 29 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images hide caption