Sunrise host Natalie Barr was stunned to learn that the presidential candidates were still personally calling potential voters on Election Day.
As the polls closed, Barr, reporting from Washington, DC, asked former Obama aide Peter Loge about what the candidates were doing.
“What’s happening in each of the camps right now?” Barr asked.
To her surprise, Mr. Loge said, “For all intents and purposes, the Vice President (Kamala Harris) is still on the phone trying to reach people.”
Almost in disbelief that a presidential candidate would do that, Barr asked, “Who’s she calling?”
“Unlikely voters, those who might not normally vote,” Mr. Loge responded.
“Vice President Harris is doing his best to mobilize as many voters as possible, perhaps by contacting people at state headquarters.”
Still shocked by what she heard, Barr asked, “Do candidates usually call people directly?”
Sunrise host Natalie Barr (left) got a shock when she interviewed Peter Loge (right), who served under former President Barack Obama
Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr leads Channel Seven’s coverage of the US election
“Yes, she’s going through the list,” Mr. Loge said.
The Sunrise veteran replied, “I didn’t know they did that.”
Mr Loge said the time between the polls closing and the results coming in is “a strange time to be in campaign headquarters”.
“If you’re a senior staffer, you’ve done everything you can do, maybe make a phone call, order a pizza,” he said.
‘Now you just wait. If there are still conversations that need to be had, you conduct them. But mostly you wait for the results. It’s a strange feeling.’
Barr asked if it was “stressful.”
“Yes, you run on adrenaline and pizza,” Mr. Loge replied.
“There’s nothing you can do but wait.”
He said Donald Trump is “reportedly waiting, watching TV, snacking, probably what I would do.”
After working for a previous president, Barr wondered, “Did Obama do that?” Do they call last minute themselves?’
‘It wouldn’t surprise me. You don’t want to lose by one vote and then regret not making that one extra call,” said Mr Loge.
With the outcome likely to depend on which candidate seven so-called swing states will vote for, Mr Loge said: “As the polls start to close around 7, 8 or 9 eastern (US time), if we see large numbers in states If Georgia, where more than 5.5 million people are expected to vote, then it could be in Harris’ favor, and we could be early in the evening.
“But if it’s close on the East Coast, we could wait longer, especially with states like Arizona and Nevada arriving later.”
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is pictured making last-minute phone calls with voters on Election Day, November 5, 2024
While Trump suggested that if he loses it will be because of cheating with “a big dump” of votes, Mr. Loge explained what the former president meant.
“He’s referring to inner-city areas where voting numbers tend to favor Democrats,” he said.
“When these results come in all at once it may look like a wave, but it’s just counting votes. Once the polling stations close, there will be no more voting.
“They’re just counting what’s already been released.”
Finally, Barr asked Mr. Loge for a prediction on who will win.
“I think it will either be a strong win for Harris or an extended period of counting,” he said.
“I don’t see Trump having a path to sweep (the election). Many voting models may be underestimating female voters, which could have a decisive impact on Harris.”