It’s time to vote now or never—and here’s how to watch results come in tonight.

Good afternoon, and Happy Election Day. 

Sara Rubin here, writing with some sense of trepidation and uncertainty that is a normal part of every Election Day, but also a great sense of gratitude and patriotism. This day of participation is the stuff the U.S. is made of, equalizing all of us—one person, one vote. Doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, civically engaged or utterly disengaged, a booster or a critic. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been loudly protesting or just quietly watching. It doesn’t matter if you’re the mayor of your city or the president of the United States—one person, one vote. 

That great equalizing formula remains the same, but this Election Day in a pandemic is unlike no other. All California voters received absentee ballots by mail, and with shelter-in-place still in effect, it’s no wonder turnout is remarkably high. As of Nov. 2, turnout in Monterey County was already 56 percent. 

It’s also different for the public and for journalists. Normally, Election Day reporting for our team at the Weekly means driving around to various parties as the candidates and their supporters watch returns come in. We write our stories from our laptops in crowded restaurants or bars; one year, I wrote an election story in a darkened Monterey Regional Airport after covering a candidate who hosted a party in what was then called the Golden Tee. 

Tonight, things will look different, but also the same. Our editorial team will be home, all of us watching various candidates’ Zoom events. We post stories about local results on mcweekly.com tonight, and we’ll be posting on social media (you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) throughout the evening. 

The preliminary local results are expected to be reported just after 8pm, reflecting vote-by-mail ballots, with an update at 10pm. To follow California’s results, check out CalMatters’ tracking tool. 

And of course, there’s the greatest nail-biter of them all, the presidential race that has become a referendum on what the United States of America stands for. Beyond policy differences, the race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is a vote on whether or not we honor the system upon which today, Election Day, is based, given Trump’s systematic attempts to discredit the very voting system that is the pride of our country.

In 2016—which, in retrospect, was a far more normal election night—I remember the Weekly editorial team dispersed at various parties, in candidates’ living rooms and at restaurants, reporting on the collective shock as the improbable results of the presidential race rolled in. Candidates and their supporters were stuck to national news, instead of focusing on their own victories. 

Tonight, the Weekly team will be watching all of it. Whoever is in the White House, our local councilmembers, school board members and county supervisors will have a significant impact on our lives and communities. 

And, here’s our last chance to nudge you: If you haven’t already, vote. Polls close tonight at 8pm.

-Sara Rubin, editor, sara@mcweekly.com