First things first: there will be no predictions in this email. The truth is, nobody can say with any certainty what will happen tonight. 

Unlike in 2020, when we were focused on just a handful of states that would make the difference in the Electoral College, we’re following a lot of races in a lot of different states, and without a doubt we’ll win some and we’ll lose some. 

Before we get into our expectations and what we’re watching for when it comes to the process and when we’ll get results, here’s one final ask (okay two):  

Vote, if you haven’t already. Today is the last day to do it. Talk to your friends and family to make sure they get their ballot in. The only prediction we’ll make is that this thing is going to be CLOSE, no matter where you live, and if you think one vote won’t make a difference, it very well could. 

Volunteer. It’s not too late. It’s a great way to spend today that doesn’t involve doom scrolling or listening to cable news pundits fill time talking about meaningless exit polls. We’ve curated high impact opportunities to get out the vote or to contact voters whose ballots have been rejected and help them fix it. This last task will be especially important, with reports of Republicans pushing for mass challenges of mail ballots.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind today:

• We may not get results immediately. Like in 2020, many people are choosing to vote with absentee or mail-in ballots and in some of the key states, those ballots cannot be processed or counted until Election Day. As in 2020, we’ll #CountEveryVote and be patient while election officials do their jobs.
• There will be a red mirage early in the night. Again, like in 2020, more Democrats are choosing to vote by absentee ballots and more Republicans are choosing to vote in person on Election Day. In many states, those Election Day votes will be counted first and the mail-in ballot results will come in later. Be patient, and wait for every vote to be counted. 
• Some Republicans will contest the results, refuse to concede, or falsely declare victory. Many prominent Republican candidates are running the Election Denier’s playbook, which means they will refuse to concede, file lawsuits, or issue mass challenges to ballots. Like in 2020, we will count every vote and ensure that the winners are rightfully certified.

So take a deep breath, because it’s a marathon not a sprint. Until the moment the polls close tonight, we’re on Team “big D” Democrat and together, and we’re doing everything in our power to elect the candidates that stand for our values. 

After that, it’s team “small d” democracy against those who seek to silence the will of the people. But as in 2020, the majority of Americans believe that the voters pick their leaders, not the other way around. A handful of villains will try to spread lies and doubt to secure power for themselves and their corporate allies, but we’ll come together to ensure every vote is counted. 

Please consider forwarding this email to someone you know. There’s going to be a ton going on tonight with dozens of critical races that are all more-or-less toss-ups and deliberate attempts to sow confusion and undermine the results.  

Here’s our message for you and everyone you know: Tune out the noise. Take a deep breath. We’ll count every vote and let election officials do their jobs and tell us the results over the next few days. 

Thank you for your tremendous work this year. We’ve done a huge amount together, but we’re not quite done. Please sign up to volunteer if you have some time today. The voter protection work is more important than it’s ever been.  

We’ll be back tomorrow with an update on where things stand. 

Thanks, 

Team VSA  

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