All week American citizens have been glued to their TV screens, watching a map of their country scattered with red and blue gradually change as days passed. As the numbers grew, so did the anxiety of the nation, awaiting the outcome of one of the most highly anticipated and pivotal moments of the year.

"I was so scared. I was so anxious and refreshed my phone constantly. The worst part is I am not old enough to vote, so there really wasn't much I could do except just watch," said Sarah Cederlund, a high school student from the Chicagoland area in Illinois.

It was not until Saturday that the Associated Press, along with numerous other news outlets, called the race and Joe Biden was declared to be the next president of the United States.

This announcement was met with an overflow of emotion. People were crying tears of joys and dancing in the streets. They shouted from the rooftops in cities from one coast to the other, parades were held, and car horns blared throughout the streets.

"I screamed. I was at home, the TV had been on for about 5 days straight and when they announced on the news I was overjoyed. I called my mom, my sisters, and texted all my friends. I have never felt such relief," Lilly Cederlund, a 19-year-old college student and sister to Sarah, said with a positive tone. "I am hopeful. I know there is still a lot to be done, but I am hopeful for change."

"I was over the moon. It was a huge sense of relief. Very different scene from what we saw four years ago and even a few months ago for that matter. The same people you saw protesting are now celebrating. That is so moving and I am honored to be a part of this time in history and be a part of the change," says Justin Bray, a young American citizen from Michigan.

Yet, this overwhelming feeling of relief and joy was not shared with everyone. Others felt betrayed and scared, along with a growing concern of corruption and fraud, they were not enjoying the celebrations to say the least.

Many dissatisfied voters staked out polling places, protesting and demanding all votes to be verified. Since this election year was also met with a worldwide pandemic, many opted to participate in mail-in and early voting. Despite this system of voting being in place for years and never being of any legitimate concern, this year many think that the ballots are invalid and should be discarded as a way to prevent corruption and fraud.

In today's political climate, as well as society, there is a massive divide between party affiliations. Moderate voters are almost nonexistent, numerous polls and research studies conducted showed that voters, in this election specifically, voted in alignment with strictly their party. Those claiming to be "independents" simply do so to avoid being categorized with the extremism and numerous negative connotations associated with each side.

Polarization in politics is not a new concept; however, it has intensified greatly within the past few years. Numerous factors can be attributed to this, one key factor is that the tensions within governing bodies have trickled its way into the public sphere. Although not entirely responsible, social media has been a central focal point for interactions between political elites and the public. Other contributing factors are the differentiation of identities between people in American and how inequalities are continually impacting those of marginalized communities. Given a vast degree of individual and group identities throughout the United States, this creates different perceptions and experiences and therefore instills an array of beliefs, opinions, values, and perspectives within everyone.

This election was unmistakably a prime example of the political polarization in this country. One half refuses to accept the outcome and the other half is rejoicing. How can this colossal difference be resolved? This country has seen division before and it did not end well.

"I really think Biden has a pretty big challenge in front of him right now. You know, you're looking at this country and half of the people say and want one thing and then the other half say the complete opposite. I think now, more than ever, we need to work together. We are in a pandemic and a lot of people are unhappy for different reasons. We are in desperate need of a unified country," Madison Yaden, a Kentucky native and a student at the University of Kentucky, responded when asked about the strong disconnect between political parties.

Now, in the face of numerous lawsuits, potential recounts, additional senate races, and one candidate's refusal to concede, the country is faced with a multitude of more obstacles following the end of such a historic and momentous election.

There are a little over two more months that Trump has in office, and considering there has been no sign-off of the GSA to verify a transition of power between presidencies, Biden's various plans of actions have been stalled. Typically, within a short matter of time, the GSA will sign-off in order to give the new president elect access to key resources and data to start making the transition between the elected officials go as smoothly as possible. Hours after the announcement of former President Barack Obama's victory in 2008, the GSA for the Bush administration at the time sent over a letter to the executive director of the Obama administration. This peaceful transfer of power is something that has been at the forefront of American democracy for over the span of the past two centuries and beyond. To question, and further deny it, is worthy of being deemed unconstitutional.

"It truly blows my mind. How the fact that someone chosen to hold the highest form of office for this country continues to degrade and insult the democratic process. Can he genuinely not accept the fact that he lost? No president has ever behaved this erotically or immaturely. It is disgusting," Harper Duncan, a young woman from Ohio, shares.

In a very opposite manner, president-elect Joe Biden extended his sympathy to those who voted for Trump and wanted to assure them that he is a leader for everyone. "For all those of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight. I've lost a couple of times myself. But now, let's give each other a chance," Biden states in his victory speech. Though it may seem small and the words could be viewed in an insignificant manner, it is the first step of may towards creating some form of unity.

It is very unclear how this will all play out. Unfortunately, uncertainty is nothing new to Americans as this year has had a tumultuous series of unforeseeable events, yet that does not make it any less concerning or terrifying. Regardless of everyone's opinions or beliefs, more changes are coming and it is going to be interesting to see what will happen next.