New confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. have climbed to an all-time high of more than 86,000 per day on average, in a glimpse of the worsening crisis that lies ahead for the winner of the presidential election.

Cases and hospitalizations are setting records all around the country just as the holidays and winter approach, demonstrating the challenge that either President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden will face in the coming months.

It’s only fitting that the most divisive U.S. election in recent memory would end in a most divisive election-eve finish—one that will have consequences for America’s standing in the world.

As of this writing, the ballot count continues to be under way. President Donald Trump wasted little time before declaring victory, setting himself up to later claim that his opponents were trying to “steal” the election.

Despite months of warnings, threats and fears over possible civil unrest, Election Day 2020 came and went in the United States without major incident. It’s a welcome development for an anxiety-ridden nation that boarded-up its main streets, readied emergency plans and mobilized National Guard forces in anticipation of confronting more of the chaos that has come to define this extraordinary year.

President Donald Trump commanded an early lead in Michigan on Nov. 3, only for Joe Biden to gain the advantage the next morning. The opposite was true in Ohio: Biden appeared ahead right after the polls closed on Election Night, only for Trump to overtake his lead around 10 p.m.

As votes continue to be counted on Wednesday, the Biden campaign projected confidence about the outcome for the Vice President in key battleground states and the Electoral College, even as they urged Americans to remain patient until all votes were counted. By Wednesday evening, Wisconsin and Michigan had been called for Biden, bringing him just one state away from the 270 needed for victory.

As votes continue to be counted on Wednesday, the Biden campaign projected confidence about the outcome for the Vice President in key battleground states and the Electoral College, even as they urged Americans to remain patient until all votes were counted. By Wednesday evening, Wisconsin and Michigan had been called for Biden, bringing him just one state away from the 270 needed for victory.

On the morning of election day, Americans faced two competing narratives. On the one hand, there was a veritable avalanche of polling data indicating the possibility – even probability – of a blue wave election not seen since Barack Obama’s 2008 rout of John McCain or Bill Clinton’s defeat of Bob Dole.

On the other hand, we had decades of data and experience telling us that America was closely (and intensely) divided.

As state and local election officials continue to count ballots across the country and with the fate of most battleground states still up in the air, President Donald Trump delivered a short, disjointed speech from the East Room of the White House, appearing to claim that he had prevailed over former Vice President Joe Biden and vowing to fight official election results in the courts.

Millions of ballots in battleground states remain uncounted.

A nationwide push to relax drug laws took a significant step forward Tuesday as more states legalized marijuana for adults and voters made Oregon the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of street drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.

The drug measures were among 120 proposed state laws and constitutional amendments that were on the ballot in 32 states.

While Americans across 50 states and Washington, D.C. are voting on Election Day—or already voted early—some states' votes will be more closely watched than others. Over the last half-century, the share of Americans who vote for the same party in every election has increased; unsurprisingly, some states are consistent in just the same way. And so all eyes will be on the handful states that do vary their votes: the swing states.