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More than 9 Million Votes Cast in Texas; Early Voting Wraps up in Georgia; 43 States Report Increased COVID Numbers; Ohio Shatters Early Voting Records; Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is Interviewed about A Stimulus Deal. Aired 9:30-10a

Aired October 30, 2020 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[09:31:55]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

And this breaking news out of Texas. It's a big headline. That state has just surpassed the total number of votes cast there back in 2016. Already four days to Election Day. Another day of in-person voting, early voting to come. More than 9 million Texans have cast their ballot.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That's a huge number.

Jason Carroll joins us in Mansfield, Texas, just outside of Fort Worth.

Good morning, Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Huge number. Everything's big in Texas, Poppy. What would one expect?

You know, we've seen enthusiasm -- we've seen enthusiasm on both sides, quite frankly, in terms of early voters, but Democrats are betting that those early votes are going to translate into a possibility that Joe Biden actually stands a chance here in the state of Texas. Can't even believe I'm saying it, but I spoke to Dallas' former mayor, a Republican, who says basically that Joe Biden went from having no shot to being a long shot to being a medium shot. He's actually endorsing Joe Biden.

And he said that's due to a number of factors, namely a change in demographics here in the state. He says the Democrats are basically doing better in the suburbs. If you take a look at where we are here in Tarrant County, it's been reliably red for decades. Now it's a little bit more purple. You've got an influx of Latino voters and young voters as well.

We spoke to a young voter. She's 24 years old. She lives in the area. Her family is -- has -- very conservative. And, guess what, this go round she's voting for Joe Biden. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELICA TUTTON, TEXAS VOTER: I've never really been a major Trump supporter, but I think in this year of 2020, after COVID and everything else that's been happening, I think that that was kind of -- this year was really the turning point for me and I listened to some of the things that Trump said and I educated myself a lot more and I think that this year, just in general with everything that's going on has really been the turning point for me to decide that I wanted to vote blue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: So -- so there you go. Dems putting time and money and effort into the state. Kamala Harris doing not one, not two, but three stops here in the state today. Republicans saying that any chance of the state turning blue is just wishful thinking. But one thing cannot be argued, and that is the enthusiasm we saw here in the state for early voting.

Poppy. Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

Listen, we don't know. It's record turnout so far across the country. I don't think folks know at this point which way it's going to turn in multiple states. But, boy, it's quite a headline, quite a name.

Jason Carroll, thanks very much.

Now let's going to CNN's Nick Valencia. He's in Cobb County, Georgia, just outside Atlanta.

And, Nick, Georgia's another state that's seeing big numbers, big lines. There's another one right behind you there. Early voting wraps up today. What are the numbers so far?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, long lines. And that's what we had expected to see here. That's what a lot of county officials expected to see, not just because this is the last day of early voting after three weeks, but also because the impact a storm system had as it moved through here on Wednesday night. At one point, up to a million people across the state were without power.

[09:35:02]

And of 159 counties here in the state, 15 of them were impacted, having their polling sites either closed all together or delayed.

We are told by the Cobb County, where we're at here, an official saying that one polling location of the 11 that they have in the county is running off of cellular hot spots, but they are able to make sure everyone gets in, in a timely manner.

Here the wait time is about an hour and a half, down from two hours earlier this morning. There are record breaking numbers here already in the state, 3.6 million early votes cast, shattering numbers that we saw four years ago.

In 2016, roughly 86 percent so far of the voters, you know, have already voted here so far this year. A lot at stake. Joe Biden hoping to become the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the state in decades. Also two vacant Senate seats here that could determine the balance of who wins the majority in the Senate.

Jim. Poppy.

HARLOW: Nick Valencia in Cobb County, Georgia. Thanks, Nick, very much.

Be sure to join all of us for "Election Night in America." Our special coverage begins Tuesday, 4:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

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[09:40:27]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back.

The U.S. has now recorded 90,000 new COVID infections just on Thursday. That's the nation's highest daily case count in the entire pandemic.

HARLOW: And 43 states are now seeing an increase in their cases. Nine states, many across the Midwest, are breaking records at this point. Illinois hitting another single-day record for infections for the second time this week.

Let's go to our Adrienne Broaddus. She joins us this morning.

Good morning, Adrienne.

I mean, it has to be said, this comes at the same -- days before many people will go to the polls to vote.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, this virus is testing everyone in so many ways, Poppy and Jim. As you guys mentioned, the U.S. smashing records it didn't want to break. And here in the Midwest, an explosion of cases. And health experts, as well as governors across the Midwest, are sounding the alarm.

I want to narrow in on several Midwest states that have seen a jump in positivity rates over the last week. I know over the past few days I've told our viewers a lot about Wisconsin, but let's look at some of the other states.

For example, South Dakota, the positivity rate there topping 46 percent, Idaho, 35 percent, Iowa, 29 percent, and, like I mentioned, in Wisconsin, 27 percent. This has been the worst week yet so far for Wisconsin. Earlier in the week hitting a milestone it didn't want to mark, more than 210,000 new coronavirus cases recorded throughout the pandemic. And they're raising the alarm in North Dakota, too. That state's

governor calling 21 counties high risk and sending this warning to families when it comes to planning for the holidays.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R-ND): So we've got a difficult operating environment for the next two months because our -- the natural rhythm that we have in our state and the natural rhythm of holidays in our country, we've seen in other countries where there have been holidays have occurred where surges have occurred after that, that this is going to be a really challenging time for us as a state and as a nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: So what does a challenging time mean? Poppy and Jim, it means saying yes to no. Now is the time to say no to your friends and family if they weren't to get together for the holidays, like Thanksgiving, right around the corner. Do something creative. Maybe have Thanksgiving in a box. Cut out your best recipes and send it to the friends you love. Because, keep in mind, 971 people died yesterday.

Back to you.

SCIUTTO: People with families,

Adrienne Broaddus, thanks very much.

HARLOW: Well, this pandemic is getting worse, as you just heard. And for millions of Americans, their situation is getting economically more dire. Why will Congress not agree on a stimulus deal? Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is here next.

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[09:48:19]

SCIUTTO: All right, another record shattered. Early voting shattering past records in Ohio.

CNN's Gary Tuchman is standing by at the only early voting location in Cuyahoga County.

Gary, you know, it's amazing how many states, I mean we've just talked about Texas, we've talked about others. Where and how are you seeing it in the state of Ohio?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Jim, hundreds of voters surrounding this board of elections building despite the fact that it's cold, it's blustery and it's been raining.

This is a battleground state. The polls show the presidential race is too close to call. And it's also the ultimate bellwether state. Ohio has picked the winning presidential candidate for six decades straight. The last time it missed was 1960 when Ohioans picked Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy. In the 21st century, and the 20th century, Ohio's only missed twice, in 1960 and in 1944 when Ohio picked Thomas Dewy over FDR.

Now, there are lots of days to early vote here, today, tomorrow, Sunday, Monday, lots of hours. But as you said, Jim, only one location in each county. In Vinton County, which is the most lightly populated county here in the state of Ohio, 13,000 people, there's one location. Here in Cuyahoga County, 1.2 million people, also one location. And it makes it very difficult for a lot of people.

How far did you come to get here today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just live right over on the west side on West 58th.

TUCHMAN: So how many minutes did it take you to get here? Drive?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Ten.

TUCHMAN: Ten minutes. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Anyone come a long way to get here today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About half an hour.

TUCHMAN: Half an hour.

Do you know in most states they have early voting in most neighborhoods in the county. Here it's only one location.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I knew. We actually used to live in Florida and they used to do it all in the city libraries.

[09:50:00]

And when we saw it here, it is only one location.

TUCHMAN: Well, you're good Americans to be here in the cold.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: Florida's also warmer, by the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Now, regarding the absentee ballots, I wanted to tell you, Jim, November 2nd, Monday, is the deadline for the absentee ballots to be postmarked, but there's lots of leeway here in Ohio. They can arrive ten days after the election. The deadline for those absentee ballots to arrive is November 13th.

Jim,

SCIUTTO: So many differences state to state. Folks, look it up so you know what the rules are.

Gary Tuchman, good to have you on the ground there. Thank you.

Poppy.

HARLOW: Gary, thank you so much for that.

Also in Ohio right now, all these folks are voting without a stimulus deal passed. In Ohio alone, hundreds of thousands of people who lost their jobs because of this pandemic are still out of work.

With me now, Democratic Senator of Ohio Sherrod Brown.

Good morning, Senator, it's good to have you.

SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OH): Poppy, nice to be with you again. Thank you.

HARLOW: Twelve weeks. Twelve weeks and no deal in Congress and increased bickering we hear between -- between Nancy Pelosi and the Treasury secretary yesterday. And it's the American people of both parties that are losing right now.

How do you explain to your constituents why they have to continue to go with no help from Congress and that Congress has just utterly failed to reach a deal for the people that put them in power?

BROWN: Well, the -- it's been 12 weeks since McConnell actually showed some interest. It's been much longer than that, since about May, since the House of Representatives passed a bill. And then, in August, 600,000 people in my state of Ohio alone lost their unemployment insurance -- their $600 a week unemployment --

HARLOW: Did we lose the senator?

All right, let's take a break. We'll come back on the other side. Hopefully we'll fix the technical glitch.

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[09:55:32]

HARLOW: OK, technology is working again.

Back with us is Democratic senator of Ohio, Sherrod Brown.

It's good to have you back, Senator.

Let me just pick up on -- we were talking about stimulus and the lack of a deal.

I looked back last night at the book you wrote in 1999 called "Congress from the Inside." And at the end of it you talk about the night that you were sworn in for your sixth term in Congress and reading the words of FDR, the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of people who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

Is it not incumbent on you guys right now to make a deal for all of those who have too little, imperfect as it may be?

BROWN: Yes, of course it's going to be imperfect. Even when we passed the really big package back in March, it was imperfect. But it -- it made such a difference. Twelve million people -- one study said 12 million people did not fall and were kept out of poverty because of -- well, because of our -- our -- what we came -- what Congress did.

There's no reason we should -- we can do the same kinds of things. We should continue the $600 a week. We need to get help to small business. We need to get help to schools. As you and I talked off the air, Poppy, we need to get help to schools and to governments. And there's just simply no reason we shouldn't be able to do that, but --

HARLOW: But why keep waiting, Senator? I guess that's what I'm asking.

BROWN: Well, keep waiting because --

HARLOW: I mean at this point, with so many millions more falling into poverty, why not take this $1.9 trillion counter from the White House -- I know the complaints about it on your side -- take it --

BROWN: Yes, well, they're --

HARLOW: Get it to the people and then go back to the table?

BROWN: Well, there's -- there's no -- there's no signal that -- that -- that the White House, first of all, will -- will -- will -- I mean the White House puts something out and pulls it back.

Senator McConnell hasn't agreed to that. We -- we could -- that's really the basis of getting close to an agreement. But the White House said it and then the White House changed its view and Senator McConnell has never said yes.

BROWN: Well, he said he -- he would take it to the floor. He said he would take it to the floor is my point.

BROWN: Well, I don't know what that means. You may know that back when we had the really good package that kept people out of poverty, the only amendment that the Republicans wanted on the Senate floor, the only amendment on the $1.5 trillion package was to strip away the $600 a week unemployment.

We defeated that, barely, but, I mean, they -- they -- they haven't been serious. The House passes something, then reduces what it passes and it doesn't get -- and then reduces what it passes, continue to move it. Senator McConnell just won't come to the table in any serious way.

I mean all summer, as you know, Poppy, he kept saying, I feel no sense of urgency as people lost their $600, and schools struggled to open and didn't have the dollars to reconfigure classrooms and cafeterias.

HARLOW: Well, I -- the -- the urgency now is not debatable. That is -- that is just a fact.

BROWN: Right.

HARLOW: But it's a tragedy for millions of Americans that still nothing has been done.

BROWN: It is.

HARLOW: As is the COVID rate in -- in the state of Ohio. I mean yesterday the highest number of cases in the state of Ohio. Is it time for at least partial lockdowns in some of the counties because the governor said 83 of your 88 counties are now considered high incident areas?

BROWN: Yes, a couple Ohio River counties aren't, but most of the rest of the state is.

Yes, I -- that's up to the governor and what they decide. I think there should be a statewide mask mandate, but that's not in the cards apparently because the governor tries to do that and he actually -- some people filed -- some right-wing Republicans filed articles of impeachment against him when he tried -- and he's a Republican trying to do stuff.

I hope we go back right after the election with the election in the rearview mirror, as I hope it is, soon after the election and get serious about doing this. If not, when the Democrats take over in January, we will do a package for public education and for local governments and for small business and for unemployed workers and to prevent evictions and mass evictions.

So I'm hopeful we can -- that McConnell will do something in November and December, that the president will settle down and play ball and actually get serious about negotiations. If not, we'll do something bigger in January.

HARLOW: That's a long ways for a lot of folks from now.

BROWN: That's waiting too long, of course.

HARLOW: Let --

BROWN: I mean we should have been doing this in August. Of course.

HARLOW: Senator, let me ask you about fracking. It's a big issue for your state. It's a big job creator for your state. It's not totally clear where Joe Biden stands on fracking. One thing that is clear is that there would be fewer fracking jobs under a Biden administration than under another Trump administration.

You said in 2012 about fracking, it's a lot of jobs, it's a lot of prosperity, though you did note the environmental and health concerns.

[10:00:04]

But you know how many jobs are tied to it in Ohio.