DURHAM, N.C. – Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden brought his campaign to the Tar Heel State Sunday, holding a drive-in rally at Riverside High School in Durham, with about 200 people in attendance.

What You Need To Know

  • Joe Biden, the former vice president of the United States, made a stop at Riverside High School in Durham, North Carolina Sunday

  • The Democratic presidential nominee held a drive-in rally, in keeping with COVID-19 restrictions

  • Biden encouraged North Carolinians to get out and vote early

  • Early voting runs through Oct. 31 in North Carolina

The trip marked the former vice president's second trip to North Carolina, a state that a Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won since Barack Obama in 2008. The state went for Mitt Romney in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016.

Biden promoted early voting in the state, which runs through Oct. 31.

“The very soul of our nation is at stake,” Biden said, emphasizing the importance of voting. “It’s go time. This is the most important election of our lifetime.”

Voters have cast over 1.4 million ballots in North Carolina, accounting for over 30% of the state's total turnout in 2016, according to the U.S. Elections Project.

Attendees at the rally stayed in their cars, honking their horns throughout the speech to show their support.

The former vice president focused heavily on promoting criminal justice changes to combat institutional racism and promised to help build wealth in the Black community.

He noted that Trump said at one of his rallies that the country had turned the corner on the pandemic.

“As my grandfather would say, this guy’s gone around the bend if he thinks we’ve turned the corner. Turning the corner? Things are getting worse,” Biden said.

He criticized the president for his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The president has known how bad this virus would be since January and he hid it from you,” Biden said. “His excuse is that he didn’t want Americans to panic. Americans don’t panic. Donald Trump panics.

Many attendees spoke highly of Biden, noting that although he has been in politics for a while, he has new ideas for the country.

Steven Lattanzio, who traveled from Chapel Hill to attend the rally in Durham, said, "He's been around for a long time, but at the same time, he's a breath of fresh air after these last four years." 

President Trump is scheduled to make another trip to North Carolina this week, a "Make America Great Again" rally at the Gastonia Municipal Airport at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21.

Both candidates are hoping to make inroads in states that could help secure a path to victory, with Election Day just 16 days away.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.