Voting ends Tuesday in an an election that can resolve extra than simply who controls the House and the Senate.

Though the polls might shut Tuesday night time, the ends in some states are anticipated to take days, maybe even weeks. This is completely regular, with tens of thousands and thousands of electors casting their poll by mail, some conspiracy theorists and election deniers might view the delayed outcomes as fraud.

As a consequence, fears of politically motivated violence in wake of the election are on the rise, with U.S. security agencies warning of an elevated menace of assaults as of late October.

With belief within the election course of waning amongst right-leaning voters, democracy consultants fear about who will settle for defeat and who will fly the false flag of fraud.

“The fate of democracy really hinges on whether or not losers accept defeat and whether they recognize losses as losses,” stated Amel Ahmed, a political science professor on the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “If you have a worldview where every loss amounts to the other side cheating … that just generally presents a challenge for the viability of democracy.”

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Less than one week earlier than the polls closed, President Biden delivered a speech from Union Station in Washington, D.C., about reassuring the nation that everybody’s vote counts. He reiterated that tallying the ballots will take time, which means ends in some states might take days.

The president additionally informed the nation that democracy itself was on the poll this 12 months, pleading with electors to contemplate the way forward for the nation as they solid their vote.

“You have the power. It’s your choice. It’s your decision,” Biden stated. “The fate of the nation, the fate of the soul of America lies where it always does: with the people — in your hands, in your heart, and your ballot.”

For a recap of election night time and what it means going ahead, subscribe to The NPR Politics Podcast.