Good afternoon! It’s Election Day, and WBEZ will provide special coverage beginning at 6 p.m. CT. You can listen online or on your smart speaker. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. What to expect tonight

Be prepared for the possibility that vote counting may be slow in some key states, like Michigan and Wisconsin, which have more restrictive rules on when ballots can be processed. Officials in another big battleground state, Pennsylvania, have also warned that it may take days for them to count mail-in ballots.

So we may not know who wins the presidential election by the end of the night, and there’s nothing wrong or illegal about that. (There have been plenty of elections where Americans had to wait days or weeks to know who won.)

As NPR reports, “State results are not final on election night; instead, organizations like The Associated Press — which NPR relies on for race calls — determine most winners well before local officials tabulate all votes.”

Pay particular attention to swing states Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, where results will begin popping up early in the night. Local election authorities will provide information on how ballots were cast, meaning we’ll know which votes were mailed in.

All three states are also crucial for President Donald Trump. If he loses just one of them to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, then his path to victory becomes much narrower.

To help give you a sense of how tonight might go, here’s a timeline of when the final polls close in each state. [NPR]

Meanwhile, both parties are battling for control of the Senate. This analysis from Politico says it’s a tossup. [Politico]

2. Here’s a look at the big races in Illinois

Voters will determine several local races that carry huge consequences for a number of issues, from criminal justice to how much you pay in taxes. As the night progresses, you can find live updates at WBEZ’s election blog. I’ll have it open on my smartphone as I’m listening to special election coverage from WBEZ (and hopefully not drinking too many adult beverages). [WBEZ]

If you’re looking for deeper dives on key races, then don’t sweat. We’ve got you covered.

First up is perhaps the most critical issue facing Illinois voters: the graduated income tax. Gov. JB Pritzker and other critics say the current flat income tax affects low-income residents more than the wealthy.

But, as we talked about earlier, we may not know tonight whether voters approved or rejected the proposal. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, Republicans are hoping to chip away at the Democratic majority in the U.S. House, and two Illinois races could be instrumental in those efforts. [WBEZ]

And in Cook County, the state’s attorney’s race has largely boiled down to whether voters support Democratic incumbent Kim Foxx’s criminal justice policies or approve of Republican challenger Patrick O’Brien’s law-and-order platform. [WBEZ]

3. Illinois today reported the most COVID-19 deaths since the summer

Illinois health officials today reported 68 deaths, the most announced in a single day since June 17, which saw 84 fatalities. Public health experts have warned that the number of deaths is increasing in Illinois, and the situation could get worse as cases continue to climb. Today, officials announced another 6,516 new cases.

Illinois is seeing a rolling, seven-day average of 6,600 cases per day, an increase of 73% from the average two weeks ago. The state has also reported more cases in the last seven days than any other state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Chicago, the rolling average is 943 cases a day, up 17% from the previous week. [WBEZ]

4. Dr. Deborah Birx warns the pandemic is entering a “deadly phase”

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, warned in an internal memo that the pandemic will get much worse, a statement that contradicts President Trump’s assessment that the country is “rounding the corner.”

In the memo, Birx said the U.S. is “entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic,” with 30% of all U.S. counties showing an alarming rise in coronavirus cases. Birx, who has previously been careful to not criticize the Trump administration, also said the White House is too concerned with lockdowns and needs to focus more on providing consistent messages and increasing testing. [VOX]

Tens of thousands of new cases are being reported across the country. Here’s a map showing where infections are climbing. [NPR]

Meanwhile, cases hit a new daily record in Russia, and Germany and the UK announced plans to ramp up testing as cases threaten to overwhelm hospitals. [AP]

5. Something to watch that isn’t about the election or COVID-19

If you’re looking for something to take your mind off the 24-hour news cycle, the critically acclaimed documentary City So Real offers a fascinating and illuminating look back at Chicago’s 2019 mayoral race.

But City So Real is not just about the historic election of Lori Lightfoot. As NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour points out, “the heart of it is the conviction that no single election, no matter how hard-fought and no matter how high-stakes, is the single cause of or cure for problems that are systemic and longstanding.”

The five-part series is available on streaming service Hulu, and it is directed by Steve James, who directed another great Chicago-centric documentary: Hoop Dreams. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Watch out for the spread of misinformation through social media, text messages and emails tonight. [New York Times]
• American Airlines is cutting more than 100,000 flights for the holiday season due to low demand. [Chicago Tribune]
• Chicago authorities shut down a 600-person Halloween party over the weekend. [Block Club Chicago]
• There’s finally an action figure for a famous, fictional journalist. [Gizmodo]

Oh, and one more thing …

I’ve been listening to a lot of Spice Girls songs today to help me stay calm. If you’re also feeling a tad anxious (but hate the Spice Girls), check out this new playlist of “calming” Tiny Desk concerts from NPR. I stopped “Spice Up Your Life” to listen to Leon Bridges’ amazing “Coming Home.” [NPR]

And if you plow through that playlist, NPR has another one from back in March that includes Raveena, Laraaji and The Innocence Mission. [NPR]

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite comfort food?

Chris Carlson writes:

“My favorite comfort food is probably a bit unusual, but it is just the thing on cool fall and cold winter nights. My wife prepares a spinach lasagna using chopped spinach, whole grain lasagna noodles, sauce and cheese, seasonings, and it is delicious. The lasagna holds the warmth from the oven and is very satisfying, especially with a nice bottle of wine or perhaps a craft beer. A mixed salad completes the treat!”

And Debby Donovan writes:

“Hunter: We would do well together eating comfort food. Catfish broiled or (I don’t want to permanently still my heart) deep fried is my favorite, favorite.”

What’s your favorite comfort food? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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