Every four years, on the first Tuesday of November, tensions run high. People flock to election booths across the country in hopes of helping their candidate win the election in at least their state, but hopefully nationwide. After waiting hours in long lines, people return home, and families crowd around the T.V. in anticipation, hoping that as each few states are announced, their candidate wins and collects electoral votes to win the election. As tensions rise, so do hopes, and families split by election become more and more split as the day progresses. Then, the decision is finally reached and the leader of our nation, for at least the next four years, is determined. Emotions run high as supporters of the winning candidate have feelings of joy and optimism towards the future, while the supporters of the losing candidates feel dejected and sometimes even fearful of what the future holds.

The stakes are usually high on election day, but they are particularly high this election day because of the divide caused by the election. With two candidates that have political, economic and social ideals on the polar opposite ends of the spectrum, the tension of this election is much greater than it would be in almost any other election. Many Trump supporters see a Clinton victory as a move towards corruption within the government, which is a reason for worry about the election. Meanwhile, Clinton supporters see a Trump victory as a move towards bigotry and racism, which also has grave implications for the country, making their fears justified as well. The election is already like no other election before, as the country divides itself more and more, people one side see a result in which their candidate doesn't win as catastrophic. This rhetoric of catastrophe, which also comes from the candidates, is a large part of the reason for the growing divide in America.

With an entire election cycle like no other, there is going to be an election day like no other. With the recent reopening of the case into Hillary Clinton's email, the election that seemed to have been handed to Clinton, through Donald Trump's infamous scandal, has tightened once again. With the tightening of the election, election day becomes all the more tense for those who see victory for the candidate of the other major party as a massive blow to the progress of America. As people close in around their T.V's or wait in the long lines to cast their vote, the nerves of election day will kick up again. This time with seemingly larger consequences for the future than in any election before.