Tuesday Briefing

Voters at the Italian-American Club in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday.Credit…Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times

Americans head to the polls

The wait is over. Americans will vote today after a presidential campaign season that many say has been darker than any in recent memory. In the final hours, candidates, staff members and tens of thousands of volunteers were in an all-out sprint, with the race deadlocked and the country on edge. Here’s the latest.

Donald Trump delivered a 90-minute, grievance-filled speech in North Carolina yesterday, while Kamala Harris focused all of her energy on Pennsylvania, the largest of the seven swing states that will choose the next president.

Trump continued to depict the nation in dark and menacing terms, often mentioning immigration and crime. Harris emphasized a theme of unity and talked about bolstering the economy and restoring federal abortion rights.

The mood: In dozens of interviews over the final days before the vote, Americans reported a grim sense that their nation was coming undone.

View from the markets: Investors appear to be unwinding bets on the so-called Trump trade. In a major reversal, bonds have rallied and the dollar and crypto currencies have dipped in the race’s final hours.

When will we know? Counting the votes will extend beyond election night, and determining the outcome of the presidential race could, too. Here’s when to expect results. (We’ll have a special post-election newsletter tomorrow morning to catch you up.)