Welcome to the beat, everyone. I am Ari Melbert, and Nicole was mentioning what's coming up.

We've also got the music. Why? Because it's on. We are in the middle of early voting. The election now just 12 days out.

At a moment, we'll be joined by two former Obama campaign insiders with the scoop on what's really going down, with Obama himself hitting the campaign trail.

Here are the numbers.

14 million people have already turned out to cast early ballots.

That outpaces the same turnout in 2018 by over a million votes.

And it's easy to forget because a lot happened.

But 2018 was the first election after Trump became president.

There was a huge, huge resistance

mobilization, but we're above that. Meanwhile, today you have voters also very concerned about rising

prices and inflation. The economy did grow last quarter, ending what was a six-month documented slump,

but is that something people are feeling yet? In a lot of prices, in a lot of places, not yet.

Meanwhile, the candidates are out trying to make their closing arguments.

By January, I'm going to be feeling even better.

But he will still be a fraud.

I just want to save as many lives as possible.

I think that's the goal of a pro-life policy.

You're saying you don't know this person?

What I'm saying is a lie.

Maybe I'm over-fashioned, but I think the marriage ought to be between a man and a woman.

Wow.

For those of you who are just tuning in, it's 2022, and Governor McMaster wants to ban same-sex marriage.

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