Election Time

President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden faced off in a debate. It was on September 29. Each made a case for why voters should pick him in the 2020 election.

Trump stood by his record. He thinks he’ll win. “I think we’re going to do well,” he said. “People are really happy with the job we’ve done.”

Biden said Americans want change. “Show up and vote,” he said. “You have it in your control to determine what this country is going to look like [for] the next four years.”

At the Debate Joe Biden (left) and President Donald Trump (right) take part in the first presidential debate, on September 29. The event was moderated by news anchor Chris Wallace.

Days later, Trump made an announcement. He’d tested positive for COVID-19. The news caused concern among Americans. At press time, Trump was still undergoing treatment. Election Day is just weeks away. Early voting has already begun. This has been an election season like no other.

Meet the Candidates

The Constitution says a president can serve two four-year terms. Trump took office in 2017. His vice president is Mike Pence. They are Republicans.

If reelected, Trump has said he’ll rebuild the U.S. economy. It has suffered because of the pandemic. “We built the greatest economy in the history of the world. And we are doing it again,” he said. He was speaking at a rally. It was in Swanton, Ohio. That was on September 21.

THUMBS-UP President Trump and Vice President Pence appear in North Carolina on August 24.

Before he became president, Trump had a career in business. He built hotels and apartments. And he hosted a TV show. Pence was the governor of Indiana. And he served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He did so for 12 years.

Biden is a Democrat. He was President Barack Obama’s vice president. That was from 2009 to 2017. Before that, Biden was a U.S. senator. He represented the state of Delaware. He served in the Senate for 36 years.

CAMPAIGNING Biden appears in Pennsylvania on September 30.

Biden promised to get the pandemic under control. “You can’t fix the economy until you fix the COVID crisis,” he said. That was on at the debate on September 29.

Kamala Harris is Biden’s running mate. She’s a U.S. senator from California. If elected, she’d be the country’s first female vice president. Harris is the first Black woman and the first person of Asian descent on a major party’s presidential ticket × ticket RICHARD HUTCHINGS—GETTY IMAGES a pair or group of candidates running for office together (noun) My friend Millie asked me to join her ticket for student council. . Her parents came to the U.S. from Jamaica and India.

ON THE TRAIL Harris speaks in North Carolina on September 28.

Other people are running for president too. None is expected to win a large share of the votes.

The Home Stretch

Usually, presidential candidates travel the country. They meet with voters. But this election is different. That’s because of the pandemic. Many campaign events have been held virtually. The candidates have made fewer in-person appearances.

Trump’s illness has shaken up the election. But he and Biden continue to fight for votes. Americans await the results. The winning candidate is scheduled to be sworn in on Inauguration × inauguration WASHINGTON, USA - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to the crowds during the 58th U.S. Presidential Inauguration after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America in Washington, USA on January 20, 2017. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) a ceremony to declare the start of something (noun) At his inauguration, in 2017, Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States. Day. It will be January 20, 2021.