Special Edition: America Votes

Briefing|Special Edition: America Votes

Americans vote and an anxious wait begins

After a grueling and polarizing campaign, American voters are choosing their next president. It’s hours before the last polls close in Alaska, and it may be days until one of the closest presidential elections in U.S. history is decided.

Will Kamala Harris become the first woman to lead the U.S., or will Donald Trump return to power? Follow our live updates.

More than 80 million people voted early. Harris was among them, while Trump voted today in Florida.

Polling stations were busy across the country and reported few technical issues. Eileen Friel, 66, and her two sisters voted for Harris in Collegeville, Pa. “We’re just worried about what could happen if the person in control is a little unhinged,” she said.

Mason Long, 30, who lives outside Asheville, N.C., said ongoing wars and a desire for a better economy were behind his vote for Trump. “I believe he will protect us and keep us out of future wars,” he said.

The first polls will close at 6 p.m. Eastern and the last polls will close at 1 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, though results will continue to flow in afterward. We could be in for a long wait. This is how my colleague Jess Bidgood, who writes the On Politics newsletter, described the situation:

“I think it’s going to be a night on the knife’s edge. Just across the map, up and down the ballot. We’re looking at a lot of really, really close races. And we may have to be really patient before we get clarity on what’s going to happen.”

Here’s when to expect results in each state.

More on the U.S. election

• Nate Cohn, our chief political analyst, breaks down four possible outcomes.

• Kaleigh Rogers, a reporter covering polling, explains why even though the polls are close, the results may not be.

• With no concrete answers yet, there are a few individual counties we can look to for clues. Here’s what they can tell us.

• The winner isn’t decided by who has the most votes. Let’s take a look at the Electoral College.

• From Opinion: Four Times columnists brace for election night and what will follow.