Both presidential candidates have intensely focused on the keystone state, and the town of Butler, due north of Pittsburgh, was the scene of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, speaking at a rally there in July.

Reporting from the ground for "Aktuaalne kaamera," ERR's U.S. correspondent Laura Kalam noted that while Kamala Harris has more backing in the cities, Donald Trump finds greater support in rural areas and smaller towns, including formerly industrial ones.

This division is even reflected in daily life at places like Kretchmar's Bakery in Beaver, Pennsylvania, just northwest of Pittsburgh and barely 30 miles (around 50 kilometers) from Butler , where buying cookies decorated with the candidates' faces has become a local tradition over the past 20 years.

The tradition also forms something of a comestible-based exit poll, as customers tend to buy and subsequently eat cookies featuring "their" candidate.

Bakery staff member Lin said: "Every presidential election Kretchmar's does this, and so we just find it fun to come in and support our candidate.

"We're supporting Donald Trump this year," she added.

Not everyone agreed, however.

Customer Kim said: "I would buy Harris [cookies], I would not buy Trump, ever. I don't like him, he's a dictator, I don't think he's fit for the country."

Despite the lighthearted nature of the cookie tradition, it has sparked tension this year.

Sherry, another employee, said: "This is the first time that it's been ugly – you know people are really fighting."

"We almost had to turn off the comments on our Facebook page," she went on, referencing one of the signature acts of the times we live in.

Kelly, who also works at Kretchmar's, said: "It's just fun, though a lot of people take it very, very, very, personally.

As for serious issues, Beaver, like many rust belt towns is now struggling economically, having once boomed.

Many local residents recall the industry downturn in the 1980s and feel left behind.

Chris told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "The steel mills were active at the time, just nearly closing, when I got here in '87. At that point, that's when things started closing up; areas got depressed, people got disoriented."

Another local resident, Ron, was in no doubt about which candidate could reverse this trend.

"Everybody was a steel worker here, and we lost all that, so we have a come back to go to, you know. I figure he can do it," he said, gesturing to a Trump-Vance placard he had displayed on his property.

Another local resident, Ray, had a front lawn positively bedecked with Trump signs.

She said: "I think the unemployment rate is up; they're not making enough money, there's families that have to work two or the jobs, there's other families that can't find work anywhere, but when Trump was here it seemed to be fine."

While this may point to a rift just inside Pennsylvania alone, between bigger city voters who may tend more towards the Democrats, compared with the more Republican-leaning small towns, this is not a failsafe rule.

Beaver resident Robert, who said he is a long term Democrat voter, said: "There are jobs – the only thing you have to do is get out there and fight for one. If you want a job, you'll get a job in my opinion."

Election day is Tuesday, November 5.

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