Nevertheless, counting votes accurately for an entire nation, in an election whose jurisdiction is divided up state by state, can be a cumbersome process.
Here, Julie Pace, Washington bureau chief for The Associated Press, explains why patience is pivotal.
EXPECTATIONS AND REALITYโOne of the biggest things that I would encourage people to do today is to have patience,โ says Pace, a longtime political and White House correspondent.
"Thereโs no expectation that we would definitely call the race for the presidency on election night.
The amount of votes cast in advance, paired with rules in some states that those votes can't be counted until Election Day, are part of what make 2020 different.