up.

you.

Charles Franklin, in most presidential elections, pundits the last minute news story that can change the trajectory of an election.

But this year, the biggest shift took place in July, when President Joe Biden announced he was stepping aside, allowing for Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

One significant way this change things on the ground is in voter enthusiasm.

And as we just discussed, the latest Marquette poll shows enthusiasm is higher among Democrats than Republicans "Here& Now", senior political reporter Zach Schultz shows us how this has changed the race in Wisconsin.

great.

>> Here's a couple on a beautiful fall day, the office of the Ozaukee Democrats is bustling.

people wanting to volunteer ever.

county party and is getting ready for a visit from Gwen Wahls, wife of vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.

Well, good afternoon, Ozark Democrats.

Ozark County is the O.

In the famed Wow counties.

The three conservative hotbeds that surround Milwaukee County and make up the base of the traditional Republican Party of Wisconsin.

to 400 signs last week.

We've got ten left by the end of the day.

>> Another thousand Harris signs have been dropped off, waiting to be assembled and put up in yards.

A visual reminder of the growing Democratic strength in suburban Wisconsin.

>> It wasn't too long ago that a visit from someone like Walz and supporters buying yard signs in Ozaukee County was unthinkable.

Four months ago, this was unthinkable.

that night and when President Biden walked out, I was like, oh boy.

Joe Biden debated Donald Trump.

>> The mood here was very solemn, and we actually had people say, I'm not.

I'm going to vote for him.

But I'm not going to do doors.

You know, I'm not going to volunteer a few weeks later, the Republican National Convention came to Milwaukee.

>> The polling showed Trump with a lead in Wisconsin and Republicans with a huge advantage in voter enthusiasm.

>> The enthusiasm gap for Donald Trump versus Joe Biden is 22 points, 22 points by the end of the week.

>> Bryan Schimming, the chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, was warning delegates not to be overconfident about a Trump win.

>> It's not just rhetoric.

It affects the way we run our parties, the way we volunteer, the way we run door to door programs.

It affects everything.

So we got to go for the win that Sunday.

campaign and dropped out of the race.

forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.

>> Kamala Harris quickly gathered enough support to become the nominee, and Democratic candidates across the state felt the mood change at the doors overnight.

>> I did feel like I was kind of running a roving therapy session for relieved Democrats at the doors occasionally because everyone who was a partisan wanted to talk to you about that and how they felt about it.

>> There's definitely been a shift in enthusiasm.

>> Kristy Welch is running for assembly and also serves as chair of the Brown County Democrats.

She says voter enthusiasm is more than just being excited to vote with Kamala at the top of the ticket.

>> We definitely saw a major increase in people, you know, filling out our volunteer form on our website, calling into the office, stopping by.

the nomination at the Democratic National Convention, she had taken the lead in the polls and closed the enthusiasm gap.

>> Yeah, so there's certainly been a shift in enthusiasm.

I actually just ran into some folks that I saw about two months ago, and our faces looked a little bit different.

And look, with all due respect to the president, there's certainly just a shift in energy.

>> By September, the debate tables were turned in terms of workers rights.

Democrats at a green Bay watch party hooted and cheered as Harris delivered a strong performance.

>> Unfortunately, we need two things.

We need walls we need while Republicans across town were upset that some of Trump's statements were being fact checked by moderators, the vote, is that what you believe he's trying to do here?

in Madison, and it's great to be back in Madison, encouraging her supporters to volunteer, trying to turn enthusiasm into action.

>> The election is basically here.

It's basically here.

And we have work to do to energize, to organize and to mobilize and to remind everyone your vote is your voice.

>> Republicans are asking the same thing of their supporters.

>> Remember, early mail in voting is underway.

So vote, vote, vote.

You got to get goin.

>> Bryan Schimming says Republicans haven't lost on enthusiasm.

It's just no longer a blowout.

It's very, very high out there.

It is not ebbed at all since the convention.

It's really, really good.

The Democrats have to make up for lost time.

So, so what appears to be a jump in the enthusiasm gap on their end is more getting getting rid of Joe Biden on Election Day.

>> An enthusiastic vote counts just the same as a reluctant vote.

But the campaigns hope an enthusiastic voter will bring Nonvoters to the polls.

>> I want you to try to be a force multiplier over these next 16 days, because I don't just want you to take yourself to the polls.

I want every single person in this room to get nine of their friends and family to the polls with them.

>> And all of this energy and all of these rallies and all of the door knocks and all of the phone calls and all of the money have to translate into something so wonderful and so simple, that little I voted sticker on more Wisconsin books than ever Wisconsin books than ever