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This week was the final stretch before Tuesday’s presidential election, and the Clinton campaign has been rushing from swing state to swing state in the hopes of swaying any final undecided voters. Hillary Clinton herself was in Florida, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina this week, as her surrogates rushed elsewhere – President Obama covered ground in Miami, while Vice President Joe Biden headed to Tampa. Clinton’s opponent, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, spent his final week in the same pursuit, with his son Donald Trump Jr. speaking on his behalf in Arizona, and his wife Melania touching on the issue of online bullying in suburban Philadelphia.

Here, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Pharrell Williams make a campaign stop on the way to North Carolina Central University on Nov. 3, 2016. Photo by Mark Peterson/Redux for MSNBC.

Photographer Mark Peterson will be on the trail with Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump through Tuesday so be sure to check back regularly for glimpses of the candidates campaigning during their last few days.

See more from the Clinton campaign trail here.

#election2016 #decision2016 #hillaryclinton #northcarolina #pharrellwilliams #donaldtrump #clinton#trump #vote #electionday #florida #nevada #arizona #battlegroundstate #markpeterson #politicaltheatre #msnbc #msnbcphoto

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This Week in Pictures: This week the United States rounded the corner into the final election push, and Republican and Democratic nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton focused their attention on major swing states. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years, beating the Cleveland Indians in overtime with a score of 8-7. In India, Diwali celebrations illuminated the skies, alongside clashes between Kashmiri protesters and government forces in Indian controlled Kashmir.

Here, African migrants lie on the ground after crossing a border fence between Morocco and Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on Oct. 31, 2016. Photo by M. Martin/Reuters

Check out more from MSNBC’s “This Week in Pictures.”

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This Halloween, as children overran the streets with merry mischief—collecting candy and gallivanting ghoulishly—there was a slightly more sinister air than usual about the start of Allhallowtide: It’s marking one week from the U.S. presidential election.

Bruce Gilden hit New York City's Halloween Parade for MSNBC to capture all of the Trumps and Clintons at their scariest.

Photos by Bruce Gilden/@magnumphotos for MSNBC

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In the week leading up to the third and final presidential debate, news of leaks around both the Republican and Democratic nominees dominated headlines and, judging by the tone of the two previous debates, analysts expected this last showdown to be explosive. It was, but Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton managed to fit a little policy talk in between attacks surrounding scandals. The good news is that now the debates are over, and there are memes aplenty. 

Photos by Mark Peterson/Redux for MSNBC

For more images from the third and final presidential debate, click here.

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With just three weeks until Election Day, both Clinton and Trump’s campaigns have been zeroing in on one of the most crucial swing states: Nevada. But this election has also brought an unexpected battle over the state of Arizona, whose population has historically voted red. Recent polls have shown Clinton leading the state by between 1 and 1.6 points, causing some to question whether Arizona could swing blue for the first time since 1952.

Photos by Mark Peterson/Redux for MSNBC

To see the full photo essay, “Trump and Clinton's unexpected presidential election battle,” click here.

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Violent protests escalated this week in South Africa as students continued to demonstrate in demand of free tertiary education. Protests and demonstrations initially began last fall over proposed tuition increases of as much as between 10 and 12 percent, and were reignited last month over the revelation that 2017 fees would increase by another eight percent. South African students are arguing that the proposed tuition increases leave many, especially black students still suffering the economic inequalities of the country post-apartheid, unable to afford higher education altogether. Students argue that the high cost of education is in direct opposition to the South African constitution, which declares education to be a right for everyone, “which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible.”

See more images from South Africa here.

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A heated, high-tension second presidential debate on Sunday night fulfilled the anticipation that consumed news media and viewers leading into the event, following what some have called the worst weekend for a presidential campaign in U.S. history. A leaked tape, on which Donald Trump is heard boasting about celebrity power and sexual conquests in 2005, set off a firestorm of coverage and Republican withdrawal of support for the nominee’s campaign. During the debate, Trump struggled to get out of answering for his comments while moderators fought to keep control over the nominees’ back and forth. But despite the media frenzy around the campaigns this weekend, early reports show that viewer ratings dropped from those of the first debate.

Here, the media scrum in the spin room at the debate’s conclusion is seen from overhead, as members of the press scramble to get to candidates and their aides before they depart.

Photo by Mark Peterson for MSNBC

To see the whole essay go to www.msnbc.com/photography (link in profile)

#debate #presidentialdebate #politics #election2016 #politicaltheatre @reduxpictures #msnbcphoto

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After fiercely fought primaries and a contentious start to the general election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump will finally square off tonight at Hofstra University in the first of three presidential debates.

Photographer Mark Peterson is on the ground to catch the sights and sounds as NBC’s Lester Holt grills each candidate on the issues facing our nation.

Here, reporter wears a wire ahead of the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. on Sept. 26, 2016. Photo by Mark Peterson/Redux for MSNBC

Check back throughout the evening as we continue to add more behind-the-scenes coverage from NBC’s debate here.

This photograph was shot on assignment by photographer Mark Peterson for MSNBC Photo as part of his ongoing body of work “Political Theatre” which examines the landscape of the American political system. 

#DebateNight #Debates #Decision2016 #HofDebate16 #DonaldTrump #HillaryClinton #Decision2016 #Election2016 #PoliticalTheatre #msnbc #msnbcphoto

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This Week in Pictures: Terrorist attacks in New York City and St. Cloud, Minn. put the United States on edge, while two police shootings involving black men reignited protests by the #BlackLivesMatter movement. In politics, candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigned in various key states ahead of their first presidential debate. In South Africa, students from various universities were met with confrontation by police as they demonstrated for their right to free education and protested inequality. Dozens of protesters died in political demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo when the governing administration postponed the presidential election. President Barack Obama traveled to New York this week to give his final address to the U.N. General Assembly.

Here, a Syrian man sits inside his tents at Ritsona refugee camp north of Athens, which hosts about 600 refugees and migrants on Sept. 22, 2016. Most of the roughly 60,000 refugees and other migrants stranded in Greece are living in “appalling conditions” and face “immense and avoidable suffering,” rights group Amnesty International said in a report Thursday, slamming Europe’s response to the refugee crisis. Photo by Petros Giannakouris/AP

To see this photo and more, visit This Week in Pictures on MSNBC Photography.

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Protests continued in Charlotte, N.C. for a second night following the death of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott on Tuesday. Scott was killed by police who were pursuing a different person at an apartment complex in Charlotte. Just before midnight on Wednesday, one person was killed in “civilian on civilian” violence, prompting police to declare a state of emergency.

Here, with blood covering her hand and arm, a woman points at a police officer on Sept. 21, 2016 in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty

See more images from Charlotte here.

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Late last night and early this morning, hundreds of people in Charlotte, N.C. protested the death of Keith Lamont Scott, who was killed by police on Sept. 20. Police had shot and killed Scott while pursuing a different person. While Scott’s family claims that he was unarmed, disabled, and holding only a book, police claim that Scott brandished a weapon upon exiting his car and that police had asked Scott repeatedly to drop his weapon. Protesters blocked Interstate 85 through the night, carrying signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot.” Seven police officers and one civilian were taken to the hospital.

Here, officers stand in formation in front of protesters in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 20, 2016. Photo by Jeff Siner/The Charlotte Observer/AP

See more images from Charlotte here.

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With less than two months until Election Day, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s campaigns have focused considerable attention on Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state in the 2016 election. Luzerne County, in Pennsylvania, is a mostly Democrat metropolitan area. It’s one of seven counties in seven battleground states that could help deliver a win to either candidate. Photographer Mark Peterson shot his way through the county, speaking with locals about those issues with the highest stakes for them. “I think we all agree that we can’t see any good coming from this election,” began Kenneth Ketchum, echoing the thoughts shared by many of the other residents photographed. 

Here, a Donald Trump supporter with “Deplorable For Trump” sign is seen outside a Donald Trump event in Aston, Pa. on Sept. 13, 2016.

This photograph was shot on assignment by photographer Mark Peterson/Redux for MSNBC Photo as part of his on-going body of work “Political Theatre” which examines the landscape of the American political system. 

See more images from across Pennsylvania here.

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Here, Kenya’s Wilson Bii, with his guide Benard Korir, compete in the Men’s 1500 meter T11 Round 1 event of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Sept. 11, 2016. Photo by Al Tielemans/OIS/IOC/AP

To see this photo and more, visit This Week in Pictures by MSNBC Photo.

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Here, a bull runs while a Spanish picador prepares to drive his lance into it during a “Corrida Goyesca” bullfight in Ronda, southern Spain, on Sept. 10, 2016 Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters

To see this photo and more, visit This Week in Pictures by MSNBC Photo.

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Here, Muslim pilgrims join one of the Hajj rituals on Mount Arafat near Mecca early on Sept. 11, 2016. Photo by Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty

To see this photo and more, visit This Week in Pictures by MSNBC Photo.

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Two men look at a wildfire from a swimming pool as it burns nearby Benitachell village, eastern Spain on Sept. 5, 2016. Photo by Alberto Saiz/AP

To see this photo and more, visit This Week in Pictures by MSNBC Photo.

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Here, an athlete participates in the pole vault event at the ISTAF World Challenge Meeting at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 3, 2016. Photo by Gregor Fischer/EPA

To see this photo and more, visit This Week in Pictures by MSNBC Photo.