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THE BIG STORY

Here's what will happen on election night

You know how to do this: it's one breath. Then another. Then another. It's Election Day! And the rules are no different: you still need to breathe to get through it.

The message of the day (and possibly, of the next couple of weeks) is: be patient. We compiled all you need to know about how tonight will unfold.

Because the election is taking place during the coronavirus pandemic, we may not know the winner of the election tonight. This is something to prepare for.

The reason for this: an enormous number of mail-in ballots will need to be counted, and not every state counts their mail-in ballots at the same time. In some states, they're allowed to arrive a few days after the election.

Polling has consistently shown Republican voters prefer to vote in person. In the event of a close election, it may initially look like President Donald Trump is winning, regardless of the final outcome. Mail-in ballots counted later could seriously cut into a Trump lead.

The state of the states

Some states, like Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina have laws that allow them to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day, which could result in clear and relatively comprehensive results after the polls close.

But Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, are not able to begin processing absentee votes prior to Election Day, and because they don't have robust histories with mass mail-in voting, their results could likely be delayed.

👉 One state, in particular, to watch on election night is Florida. According to Decision Desk HQ President Drew McCoy, if Joe Biden wins Florida, it's pretty likely he'll win the election, as there are few paths to victory for Trump that don't run through the Sunshine State.

President Donald Trump at a rally on October 31 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Mark Makela / Getty Images

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

The candidates close out their campaigns

👉 Donald Trump spent much of the last week searching for a message that will resonate. Down in the polls as coronavirus cases surge, Trump tried to land a message that absolves him of responsibility and connect with voters. He expressed frustration at the Supreme Court after its ruling cleared the way for Pennsylvania to count ballots that arrive by Nov. 6.

Trump said, "This is a terrible thing they've done to our country. And that's the United States Supreme Court I'm talking about. That is a terrible, political, horrible decision that they made."

👉 Joe Biden is going into Election Day angry but confident. Biden was in Pittsburgh for the final day of campaigning, pounding on the lectern, calling healthcare a right, not a privilege. The candidate who once worried about going too far couldn't hold back, couldn't shout loud enough, couldn't be more pissed at President Trump.

Joe Biden at a drive-in campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 2. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

ELECTION DAY SNAPSHOTS

What to do if you're stuck in a line at your polling place on Election Day. As one expert put it, "The big neon sign is: If you are in line when polls close, you must be allowed to vote, so don't get out of line no matter what anybody around you tells you."

Companies are boarding up their storefronts in anticipation of civil unrest after the election. Reps for companies like Target, Macy's, and Saks Fifth Avenue told us they are operating "out of an abundance of caution," boarding up their storefronts across the country ahead of the election.

Some militant group leaders don't agree with Trump's call for them to be on guard. Some groups said they're planning to watch the polls but would somehow remain "unseen," while others said they didn't want to impede the civic process and would stay home.

This is what European officials think about the US presidential election. European diplomats and government officials said they are in disbelief over the chaos surrounding the election. One said, "We don't want anything to do with your fucked-up election. Keep us out of it, please."

Celebrities like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift And Cardi B are urging their followers to vote as election day gets underway. Here are all the celebrities swarming social media with encouragement to vote.

HOW FACEBOOK PREPARES

Inside Facebook 24 hours before Election Day

Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs and communications and the former United Kingdom deputy prime minister, was trying to rally employees at the social media giant.

"We have transformed the way we approach elections since the U.S. presidential election four years ago," Clegg wrote in an internal memo. He shared how Facebook prepared for the arrival of Election Day.

In the run-up to the election, Facebook said it wouldn't accept new political ads the week before Election Day and promised to stop running political ads after Nov. 3. The measures were meant to reduce the likelihood that ads could be used to incite violence or spread misinformation before and after Election Day.

But days before the vote, Facebook's ad system was marred by widespread issues — issues that went unmentioned in Clegg's post.

Here's the mood inside Facebook, 24 hours before the big day.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Chrissy Teigen's friends donated blood to "replace the seven pints" she was given in hospital to honor her late son Jack

A month ago, Chrissy Teigen revealed that she lost her third baby after weeks of pregnancy complications and excessive bleeding that led to her hospitalization.

In a really moving post, Teigen shared that her friends have continued to shower her with love, explaining that they had donated seven pints of blood in tribute to her late son — the same number she was given in hospital as doctors fought to save the pregnancy.

Wishing you a smooth time at the polls today,

Elamin

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📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.

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