The pandemic will mean that many more Americans vote by mail this year.

All 50 states require people to register before they can cast a mail-in vote. But from there, the rules diverge wildly.

And a lot could still change. Our correspondent Luke Broadwater, a reporter in Washington, says there are more than 300 challenges to voting-related rules winding through courts across the country.

Americans should probably brace for a different kind of election night — it could be days or longer before the full picture of results emerges.

Guest: Luke Broadwater, a congressional reporter for The New York Times.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

Background reading:

• Republicans fear that President Trump’s messaging on voting by mail could depress turnout. But Democrats worry an overreliance on the mail could leave more of their votes uncounted.
• A New York Times Magazine investigation found that misleading and false claims about widespread voter fraud are part of a long disinformation effort — one that Mr. Trump has taken to new extremes.
• Here’s how to vote in your state.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.