special edition of nbc bay area news and a special digital newscast, mobile and all of our apps. we'll simulcast on cozi. seconds away from the polls opening in california. get out and vote. ♪ ♪ >> good morning. election day 2020. america heads to the polls. >> it's your responsibility as a citizen to get out here and vote. >> after nearly two years of campaigning, voters finally have their say, eager for their voices to be heard in the most consequential election in generations. nearly 100 million votes already cast, as the candidates make their final pitches in key battleground states overnight. >> we want to do it just like last time, but let's give me a little bit more margin, if you don't mind. >> it's time for donald trump to

pack his bags and go home! >> voter safety during the pandemic and the security of the ballots a priority for election officials. >> we're anxious to get it done and to get it done right. >> at stake, the balance of power, the direction of the nation and the future of both parties. the world is watching as millions of americans decide who will be the next president of the united states. today, tuesday, november 3rd, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," election day 2020, with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> guys, we made it. it is a tuesday, election morning 2020 at long last. >> and it's all over but the voting. the voting's been going on for weeks in this country. this is the day a lot of people have been waiting for.

it's high hopes for people on both sides of the aisle. no matter who wins, this is a chance every four years and let's just embrace it to really see democracy in action. by the way, we've already seen that this morning. here's a live look at voting lines across the country, pennsylvania, ohio, north carolina and connecticut just a snapshot of what's already going on at this early hour. >> a lot of polls open, 6 a.m. nearly 97 million americans have already voted. that's shattering records and that includes the two men on the presidential ballot. >> it's important to remember today is the last day that votes can be cast. this is not the last day for them to be counted. this could be a long night, a long week or month. we'll see. given the historic turnout, indeed the process could take longer than normal. we get the results to share with you of midnight voting in two new hampshire communities.

joe biden sweeps votes, and president trump won it 16-5 in the neighboring community. >> meantime, the uncertainty of this day is being felt across the united states from coast to coast. hard to believe, but unprecedented measures are being taken to guard against potential unrest. there are security in front of stores, stores are being boarded up. >> yeah, hard to imagine this has to happen this year, but it does. we've seen it in new york, we've seen it on beverly hills. take a look at this, a temporary fence has been placed around the perimeter of the white house. tensions are high on this election day. we're going to walk you through everything there is to know, the key states to watch, how voters are feeling and even if the weather will cooperate. >> let's get started with nbc's peter alexander at the white house will president trump will spend the day today. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. this is not a test, but for donald trump this is the ballgame. he and his campaign are counting on a huge turnout from his base

at the ballot box today to win him another four years, in conversations with his aids and allies, they are casting confidence that the polls have missed the mark again and the large rallies are evidence the energy is there among his supporters. president trump looking to pull off a historic repeat of his 2016 upset, wrapping up his campaign overnight in grand rapids, michigan, the same location of his last rally four years ago. >> i think we're going to win everything. i think tomorrow is going to be one of the greatest wins in the history of politics. >> reporter: the president focusing on the pandemic, once again making this false claim. >> we're rounding the corner, we're rounding the corner, and you've got to open your states. >> reporter: in a new internal report obtained by the "washington post," dr. deborah birx, the white house coronavirus task force coordinator, bluntly contradicts the president, warning we are entering the most concerning and

deadly phase of this pandemic, and urging top administration officials to make much more aggressive action. the white house responding overnight, saying in part, we are working around the clock to safely treat the virus and ultimately defeat it. president trump also eyeing the election itself, singling out the crucial battleground state of pennsylvania, which can legally count mail-in ballots received over the next three days, a decision upheld by the supreme court. >> do you know what can happen? number one, cheating can happen like you've never seen. >> reporter: later tweeting that the decision will induce violence in the streets. twitter clickly flagging the tweet. pennsylvania's secretary of state delivering this rebuke. >> pennsylvania has such strong processes in place, it would be incredibly hard to do any kind of fraud or cheating, and the president knows that. >> reporter: all of it comes after a busy day for the president, hosting five rallies in four states on the final day of his 2020 campaign.

going after biden in wisconsin. >> could he really win, are we serious about this? >> reporter: and this morning asked at what point he would declare victory. >> when there's victory, if there's victory, i think we'll have victory. but only when there's victory. there's no reason to play games. >> reporter: president trump has just one stop on his schedule today, a short drive to thank his campaign staffers. as for tonight, the president has invited 300 to 400 guests to the white house this evening to watch the election results roll in. a white house official telling me covid testing will be required, and as you noted, barriers are now up all around the white house complex, securing it against any possible protests or demonstrations from either side tonight. hoda. >> peter alexander, long night ahead for you from the white house. thank you. let's see what joe biden is up to. he made his closing argument to voters at an overnight rally in pittsburgh, a state that could

ultimately decide the race. nbc's kristen welker joined us from from a packed polling site in if i willy. >> reporter: it is packed in philadelphia, voters lined up around the block, after joe biden and two failed bids for the presidency, it call comes down to this and it is closing argument overnight, urging people to get out and vote for people to get out and vote for him and to vote for change in the nation's highest office. joe biden fighting for every last vote, with a final nighttime rally in pittsburgh, the same city where he first launched his campaign. >> i have a feeling we're coming together for a big win tomorrow. >> reporter: hardening his closing argument against president trump. >> tomorrow you can put an end to a presidency that has failed to protect this nation it's time for donald trump to pack his bags and go home! >> reporter: he and kamala

harris getting some high wattage help lady gaga with biden >> hands up, come on >> reporter: john legend with harris in philadelphia it all capped off an election battleground blitz, biden making three stops in pennsylvania after starting his day in ohio, where he blasted president trump for suggesting he might fire dr. anthony fauci. >> i've got a better idea. elect me and i'm going to hire dr. fauci and we're going to fire donald trump. >> reporter: harris had five events of her phone in the keystone state, attacking the president for falsely suggesting pennsylvania was ripe for voter fraud. >> he's doing it to distract from the fact that he actually has no record to run on. >> reporter: in the campaign's closing hours, former president obama in georgia and florida, aiming to energize black and latino voters, key parts of his coalition, which failed to turn out in force in 2016 obama's message, don't be

complacent >> right here in south florida, you can deliver the change that we need. but it's going to take every single one of us >> reporter: also critical to winning a key state like pennsylvania, the suburbs. here voters stress the high stakes, from trump supporters -- >> how confident are you that president trump is going to win the state of pennsylvania? >> it's almost 50/50, but of course i'm going to lean towards him pulling it out. >> do you think biden is going to win >> we're getting a whole lot of people enthusiastic, we're pounding the doors to make sure we get the vote out. >> reporter: now, underscoring the significance of pennsylvania, biden will be back here today with two stops, one in scranton. that's where he was born and one right here in philadelphia before returning to delaware to monitor returns with the world watching, savannah. >> kristen welker in philly, thank you. it is a start of a long day

for chuck todd he's here to walk us through what to keep an eye on throughout the day you're going to give us a viewer so we can watch it like a pro. >> we know there's going to be some states that are hard to count, so how will we know what happened tonight 7:00 the action starts fast, florida and georgia close. the gray area is the part of florida where polls are open for an hour later than that because it's on central time but florida and georgia deliver their vote fast. we called georgia before 11:00 in the last three election cycles at 7:30, two more big ones, north carolina and ohio. ohio is one to watch because if it's very narrow and we can't call it, that's probably a good sign for joe biden in the neighboring states, if we call it fast for donald trump, that could be a good sign for him north carolina, everything is at stake in north carolina, which i know you're going to talk about the senate and the presidency can tell us a lot there. 8:00 gives us texas, a little piece of it closes an hour later. michigan, a little piece closes an hour later.

and pennsylvania, texas, how long do we linger on texas the longer we don't call this race, the better biden has done. then at 9:00, wisconsin, minnesota, arizona and nebraska. nebraska, we care about the one congressional district they split it up biden feels good about that. wisconsin, doubt we see results tonight. minnesota is another state, will we get results or not. your home state of arizona, they claim they're going to get more vote tonight last year, two years ago, it took us five days to find out who won a senate race and it was decided by four points. >> it will be interesting. a lot of these states have experience with mail-in voting, others do not. what do you think is going to be one of the first tell-tale signs of what the trends are, what the momentum is? >> i think there's two things. there's actually the state of virginia, which closes fast, counts fast. what virginia will tell us, what that spread is biden is going to win the state. if it is nine or ten points and it matches the national polls,

because virginia usually watches the national poll, then you know, okay, the national polls were right, let's watch as things go on georgia is another one georgia counts its ballots very well we are going to get 95% of that vote in very quickly georgia, i think, could be the first big story of the night >> all right, chuck, thank you we'll be watching. blink your eyes and he'll still be standing in that exact spot in 14 hours. also at stake, the control of congress all 435 house seats up for grabs, as well as 35 seats in the senate where republicans hold the majority. if they were to flip it, they would need to get a net gain of three seats and control of the white house, or if they got four seats and president trump won re-election, democrats would have control of the senate here with some races to watch, that is a difficult proposition, but not impossible for democrats in this environment. >> it is tough and if you had told me we were going to be talking about control of the senate two years ago, i would

have been very, very surprised, but president trump's polling is just not where his support was in 2016, which is why democrats have a shot at this at all. >> the effect is happening down ballot, as we say. let's look at some of the races that you're looking at what is the top of your list >> the top of my list is north carolina this is really where both parties, all of my sources are saying control of the senate is going to come down to this race. it's a swing state, currently controlled by a republican, thom tillis democrats have mounted a strong challenge. their candidate has had trouble in the final weeks with a sexual related scandal, but he seems to be overcoming it >> we just saw a ten-point spread in the polls. do you think it's tighter than that >> i do think it's tighter than that, all of my sources say it's tighter than that. but we don't know where the polling is remember what happened back in 2016 it's a little hard to know. >> and so much in flux, we had early voting and there's a lot of x factors with the polls. let's look at iowa senate. this is joni ernst in a tight

race, surprisingly, with theresa greenfield. >> joni ernst was very popular in her home state of iowa and for republicans for this to be on the map, it just tells you how much trouble they're in. they should not have to be fighting it out in iowa this way. and i know republicans will consider it a win if joni ernst can pull out that seat they'll be able to say we may have had trouble with the president's approval ratings, but we got joni across the finish line. >> republicans had a good poll this weekend in iowa let's talk about michigan. that's where you've got a democrat potentially on the ropes in a tight race. >> so this is the only one of these states where i would say republicans are looking to be on offense. if we're talking about the michigan senate race tonight as we are covering the results, that means republicans had a better night perhaps than many expected this is their one candidate they think might be able to outperform president trump in a state where president trump has been running behind. they don't have very many opportunities like that.

so if they're on offense in michigan, it's likely we're headed for republicans hanging on to control of the senate. >> a late night for you, too a reminder, nbc news is going to have you covered as the results come in. our special prime-time coverage gets underway early, 7:00 eastern, 4:00 pacific right here on nbc. let's move to the mood of the nation as election day finally arrives. as we said, all across the country cities are taking extra precautions, bracing for potential conflict nbc's stephanie gosk joins us with that part of the story. hey, steph. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. this time of year you would expect to see holiday displays at department stores instead, they're boarding up it's not just here in manhattan. this is the scene in chicago, denver, l.a. there are really two big security concerns for election day. you're talking about securing polling places there are fears that there might be voter intimidation or even voter confrontations in some places voters will be greeted by police for the first

time, including fulton county. that's home to atlanta in georgia. for the first time, all 255 of their polling stations will have police officers present. it's not just in georgia across the country there are states that have called up the national guard, including in oregon here is what the governor of that state had to say about the security situation >> i want to be very, very clear that voter intimidation and political violence will not be tolerated. not from the left, not from the right, and not from the center >> reporter: the second concern is reaction to the vote. look, we are coming off of weeks and months of protests following the death of george floyd, sometimes those protests have turned violent officials are concerned that the reaction to the results of this election, whatever they may be, may trigger violence we've already seen those scenes around the white house that unscalable fence is put up.

in other cities, police officers have had their days off canceled here in new york, the mayor says there is no specific threat that they're reacting to, but that they have groups of hundreds of officers ready to react to whatever may happen, not just today, but in the days to come back to you. >> it's still hard to believe we're boarding up american cities on election day in the united states. but it is the reality. all right, stephanie, thank you. for those who are voting in person today, the weather is a big, big story hi, al good morning. >> good morning, guys. the big story is it's not that big a story, thank goodness. take a look. we've got maybe a big pacific storm coming in with rain and early snow showers in new england. let's drill down and look at some of the battleground areas we're going to start in the northeast, the midwest as well pennsylvania, a cold start but then warms up. michigan sunny and cool. mild in ohio wisconsin, an afternoon warmup we go into the southeast, north carolina, morning frost and freeze and temperatures warm a little bit of an early frost in georgia gusty ocean winds in florida,

but then temperatures will be in the mid-70s. then we head out west. nevada, sunny and warm with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. arizona, hot in the desert tucson will see a temperature of 91 degrees we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds coming up in the next 30 seconds. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san francisco a beautiful start to our election day. and we are also feeling some cool temperatures. but it's going to warm up nicely.

san francisco expect a high of 65 degrees. 71 in oakland. and 75 today in san jose. in clear lake we're going to see the temperatures reaching up to 80 degrees. a little bit warmer there but we're on a cooling trend and will continue through the week especially heading into the weekend. and that is your latest weather. ladies just ahead, the battle over the battlegrounds, president trump and joe biden have concentrated their efforts in the 11th hour of this campaign our team is ready with live reports from three crucial swing states to watch today. plus, on vote watch, where do things stand with those mail-in ballots. postal delays are a big concern, along with exactly when they'll all be counted as a nurse, i've faced the fear of being stretched too thin to do my job right. and it's not just health care workers. our teachers and school staff are going the extra mile for our kids. our firefighters are taking on unthinkable missions

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into deals for days. starting wednesday november 4th score deals like an $88 42 inch onn roku tv and get them at our new deals pickup. let's end the year saving bigger. good election day morning. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. yes, the day has arrived. the polls are now open in california. let's head to "today in the bay's" cierra johnson live in san francisco. >> reporter: good morning. polls have been open now officially for 26 minutes. i can tell you the energy here has really picked up in that time. the plastic tents is where the voting actually takes place. you've seen the poll workers directing voters to which tent they need to go to and instructing them on how to deposit the ballots into the box to have their vote, in fact, counted. we've been out here since about 4:00, and in that time we've

seen folks coming and going, just really getting excited about the voting process. we've also seen folks sanitizing some of the touch points. if you are coming out you need to wear your mask and bring some hand sanitizer for when you cast your vote. guys? it looks like you also need to bring a jacket before you head out the door. a little cool out there this morning, kari? yeah, we've seen those temperatures dropping into the 30s and 40s. and if there's a long line you want to make sure you're dressed in some layers. we're going to see our temperatures warming up today in the north bay. we're still in the 50s but it will feel nighter into the afternoon as we reach into the low 70s. upper 70s for our inland valleys. we'll see that weather continuing through the end of the week, but then take a look at the big change we'll have this weekend. cooler air coming in on friday. we'll even be watching out for a slight chance of some spotty showers in the forecast on

sunday. laura? all right, thank you very much. we'll be back with another local news skrupdate in half an hour. back to the "today" show. ♪ wild thing, ♪

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7:30 election day there's a shot of the democratic nominee, joe biden first time we've seen him this morning. he's starting with a visit to his church in delaware, alongside his wife and grandchildren. it's going to be a long day, long night for the candidates, for people watching. >> for people covering it. indeed, it will be and like most presidential races, this election will, of course, come down to those swing states and we want to begin this half hour checking with our correspondents who are spread out across three of them in the south. >> let's start with nbc's kerry sanders, in saint petersburg, florida. florida, florida, florida.

stop me if you've heard this one before in particular, you're in pinellas county for a reason >> reporter: yes, i'm in saint petersburg, which is in pinellas county, because as goes pinellas county, so goes the state. that's been the case here for a long time. 29 electoral votes here in the state of florida, which can make or break a presidential campaign this county here in the gulf coast has 700,000 voters and they have correctly picked the president since 1980, except for the meltdown we had here in 2000 florida is evenly split between democrats and republicans, and look at pinellas county, almost the same split, which is why both campaigns will be watching pinellas county especially closely tonight. florida should have its results early because the mail-in votes have been counted for weeks. as chuck todd pointed out, the polls close at 7:00 p.m. but florida has two time zones the line right now, it's down to

about a 30-minute wait folks started gathering here well before sunrise. >> kerry sanders in pinellas county thank you. let's say we head 600 miles north to another crucial battleground we're talking about north carolina experts say it is a must-win state for president trump. morgan radford joins us. she's been talking to a key voting block, women in the burbs. >> hoda, good morning. you can see people are already lining up this morning because there is so much at stake in this state as you mentioned, this is essentially a must-win state for the president if he wants to remain in the white house. really here, hoda, is balance of power hangs in the hands of suburban women voters and that is why voijoe biden has been pursuing ta demographic. president trump has been trailing among suburban women and that's nationally, but also special here in north carolina

back in 2016 president trump carried these suburbs of the state by 24 points and now those exact same suburbs are leaning towards biden by 22 points that's largely because of women. president biden has been enjoyi enjoying 22 point lead so we spoke to one of those suburban women voters about what she wants to see in this election she is a life-long republican, but she says this year she's voting for biden. >> you said that you're kind of almost like a secret biden voter. >> yes >> what does that mean >> well, i think there's a huge population, actually i know a bunch of women whose husbands are deep republicans and have been for many years and they're just choosing not to tell their husband who they're voting for but they're secret biden voters. >> reporter: so north carolina has only turned blue once in the last 40 years and that was back in 2008 for barack obama, which

is why voters like allison who are living in the suburbs could really tip the balance of power here in the state, but also potentially in the country hoda. >> morgan radford for us in charlotte, north carolina. thanks. we've got another one down south, the biden campaign make a big push in georgia, hoping to expand the electoral map nbc's blaine alexander is in atlanta for us georgia nearly always goes for the republican presidential candidate. >> reporter: absolutely, savannah for the better part of 30 years this state has gone red. this is very new territory for georgia. it's battleground territory and both campaigns absolutely know it that's why in the week leading up to election day you've seen president trump, former president obama, you've seen joe biden and kamala harris all make stops here in the peach state in a place that does not get a lot of attention in those final hours before election day. for the democrats, a big part of that closing argument is appealing to black voters.

consider this, across the country there are 30 million eligible black voters this year. that's higher than ever before here in the state of georgia they make up nearly 30% of the electorate so it really shows that there is such power to make a difference, to sway this election, particularly in those close states now, when i've spoken with a number of voters here on both parties, they're both very keenly aware of the fact that georgia is in play this year and that's really driving them to turn out and vote today. >> thank you very much good snapshot of where some of the fights are going to be had tonight on election night. >> we'll be watching closely starting at 7:00 it's 7:35. let's get another check of the weather. >> thank you so much we've got a chilly start if you're going out voting in the southeast, mid-atlantic states 31 million people under freeze warnings feels like 38 in charleston, 36 in albany.

here in the northeast, bangor 21 of a windchill and 43 in dc. it feels like 30 in pittsburgh out west, it is going to be toasty billings, montana, 71 degrees. minneapolis, 71. oklahoma, 73 chicago 11 days warmer at 64 for tomorrow, the warm temperatures continue from phoenix to pittsburgh, and early into the weekend we are talking about temperatures that are anywhere from 5 to 10 degrees good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at our high temperatures for today we have some fantastic weather for our election day. going to reach mostly into the upper 70s across the bay area and some 60s near the coastline. we are looking at a lot of sunshine for our inland valleys, and that will continue through at least thursday, but then on friday a big cooldown headed our way. highs only in the 60s. check out the weekend. more clouds and highs only in the 50s in the valleys.

that is your latest weather, guys thank you. just ahead, the election day concerns over mail-in ballots. what slowed their arrival in some key states and when will they be counted? tom costello is going to take a closer look. >> plus, arizona's secretary of state is up early with us live as the millions of mail-in votes in her state are being tallied as we speak. first, these messages. (teen) mom... it happened again. (vo) add some thrill to your wish list. at the season of audi sales event. get excpetional offers now. maria had to do everything for me. she had these awful blisters on her back. i don't want shingles when i'm your age.

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so every touch is as comforting as the first. pampers. the #1 pediatrician recommended brand . this morning on vote watch, an in-depth look at mail-in voting so important this year. >> nearly 100 million ballots were cast ahead of election day. the question is, how long will it take to count them and report those results? >> in a moment, we're going to talk with arizona's secretary of state about the challenges of the day and the issues surrounding mail-in ballots. first let's get to nbc's tom costello who joins us from fairfax, virginia. obviously a lot of tensions high on both sides. >> reporter: yeah, anxiety is high i would imagine that your family at home, your friends, everybody is living through this that number you mentioned, 100 million people have already cast their ballots, staggering.

here in fairfax county in northern virginia, 55% of voters have already voted, but it could be some time before we know the results. it's finally here, election day 2020 but with an unprecedented early voter turnout nationwide and many lining up to vote today, the final countdown could lead to a drawn-out race to declare a winner. >> the election day votes that are counted and reported first could heavily favor donald trump, but that mirage could be erased by later counted absentee and mail-in ballots. >> the mail-in ballots are a top concern this morning, after the postal service reported more delays in ballot deliveries in key battleground states, meaning some ballots may be at risk of not arriving in time to be counted. now a federal judge has ordered that extraordinary measures must be taken now to move ballots >> i'm just hoping that with the mail-in ballots, i'm hoping it's a clean election. >> reporter: so far, more democrats than republicans have voted by mail.

in long-time ruby red texas, the early vote count has surpassed the total number of votes cast in 2016. overnight a frag court denied a motion by republicans to block drive-through voting today in the houston area earlier a federal judge dismissed the group's effort to throw out 127,000 drive-through votes already cast while every state has its own deadline for certifying election results, 21 states and dc allow ballots postmarked by today to be counted if they arrive days after the election, including in critical battleground states like ohio and pennsylvania those two states, along with wisconsin and michigan, can only begin counting their millions of mail-in ballots today, which could mean an even greater delay in getting results. >> it may take a little longer than we're used to, even a few days, but that's okay. >> reporter: president trump repeatedly on the attack,

calling out the supreme court's decision to how pennsylvania to count ballots postmarked by today and received three days later. >> we've got a very horrible, horrible ruling from the supreme court of the united states >> reporter: this morning, state election officials are urging patience >> the president has suggested any ballots arriving after tonight should not be counted. will they be counted >> every valid voter, every cast ballot, will be counted, absolutely >> reporter: similar sentiments in michigan where ballots must be received before polls close today. >> bottom line is candidates don't get to decide who wins an election voters do. >> reporter: a bit of a reality check here, we mentioned the 100 million votes already cast 24 million ballots, according to the southern poverty law center, 24 million have not been returned in other words, they were requested or mailed out, but not returned some of those people may have simply decided to go vote in person you can do that, for example, in california

but a lot of votes may be left on the kitchen table, savannah >> in some states, as you mentioned, pennsylvania, if it's postmarked by today, you can count it in other states it's over after today. if you didn't get it in by election day, you're done. let's go to katie hobbs, arizona's secretary of state arizona sent out more than 3 million mail-in ballots and they've gotten 2 million back. good morning to you on what will be a long day. >> good morning. >> so let's talk about it. arizona has a long history of mail-in voting, as i understand it, about 80% of the state will vote by mail and you've already been able to count these votes for the last couple of weeks. do you expect that a result could be known tonight in arizona? >> we'll have a lot of results in tonight 2.6 million voters have already cast their ballot. a bulk of those have been tap yu lated. we'll be able to report those tonight, as well as all the totals from the polling places

today will be able to be reported tonight so the number we don't know is how many of those early ballots will still be left to count after today and we might not have that number until really late tonight and so that's what we don't know in terms of how much results we'll have by the end of the night. >> arizona state law, you had two weeks to count any of the mail-in votes that have come in so far have those already been counted or do you have a backlog of any amount >> as far as i know, the counties have been processing and tabulating ballots as they come in. they have been tabulating as we go and we'll have a good amount reported tonight at 8:00 when we can start reporting. >> what's your biggest worry as you face tonight as the secretary of state of a state that is very crucial this year >> well, by tonight i don't think i'll have any worries left we would have done everything that we can to make sure that every voter gets to vote, and so

it's really just waiting for those results like everybody else and, you know, making sure that people's expectations are in line with what we're able to do you know, results are never final on election night, as much as we want to have those results by the end of tonight. >> just two years ago you had your own election night drama, not to bring up a sore subject, but the associated press called it for your opponent and then days later the results were tabulated and you ended up being the victor what does that experience tell you as you go into tonight and what would you advise folks watching at home anxiously >> well, the fact that all the votes are not counted on election night is a normal part of the process and there's nothing nefarious going on if the result changes you're not winning when all the votes haven't been counted yet so this is a normal part of the process. our tabulation process is extremely transparent, and so

folks just need to be patient. this is a big election, you know, the outcome is really important, and we want to make sure we get it right and make sure that every single valid vote is able to be counted. >> arizona's secretary of state, katie hobbs, thank you very much >> thank you. 7:48 what impact the pandemic is having on today's votes, and the efforts to keep you safe at the polls. brea. and along the way, we noticed something was missing. a warm cinnamon roll for breakfast, or with breakfast. a fluffy blueberry muffin, from the drive thru you're already driving through. a glazed apple fritter, which might find its way into your coffee. these are options every breakfast-haver should have, and now... they do. meet the new bakery sweets at mcdonald's ♪ ba da ba ba ba

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election day craig joins us working from home this morning >> happy election day, ladies. still ahead here, vicky nguyen, she's going to help us navigate our relationships on election day and beyond, from ways to de-escalate conversations that get too tense, to how to talk to your kids about what they're going to see and hear. plus, if you are feeling some added stress today, what we could all do to ease that stress we have called in mental health guru jay shetty to join us with a few ways to relax. in-store and on target.com. it's black friday now, at target. it's time to take with best friends all along the sun is out. it's beautiful. turn up your favorite song! and head out for the open road

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in-store and on target.com. it's black friday now, at target. good morning. it's 7:56. i'm laura garcia. election day is here. the polls open in california an hour ago. to cierra johnson live in san francisco. >> reporter: good morning. the polls have been open for nearly an hour now, and i can tell you things are pretty quiet here. there hasn't been much of a wait. folks are coming in, walking, doing their thing and coming out. it is important to note there is that ballot box, so if you have that filled out ballot there is a spot for you to drop that ballot off. another important note is they have been sanitizing portions of this voting center. we're still in the midst of a pandemic so when you do come to vote be sure to wear your mask. this particular voting center is open until 8:00 this evening. guys? so folks are up early, maybe heading out to vote this

morning. let's check the temperatures with kari. it's starting out cool, but we are going to warm up quite a bit with temperatures in the upper 70s for the next few days. really nice weather for election day and beyond, but we are going to have a cooldown for the weekend. starting on friday the highs only reaching into the low 60s, and some 50s for the weekend high temperatures, laura. we'll also be watching out for a chance of some spotty and light showers but overall a bigger storm for the see area. good to see a lot of changes, laura. oh, good. we could use the snow. another local news update in half an hour. get out and vote. have a great day. as a nurse, i've faced the fear

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get to work and keep our communities healthy. relieve traffic. reduce pollution. rescue caltrain. [all] yes on measure rr. it's 8:00 on "today coming up, election day in america. voters heading to the polls to make their voices heard. >> the most important vote of my life. >> as president trump and joe biden deliver their closing arguments in key battleground states. >> i think we're going to win everything. >> i have a feeling we're coming together for a big win. >> so where do things stand? we will have the very latest on the race to the white house. plus, pandemic and politics. we'll hear from voters in states hit hard by the coronavirus. >> just look at the state that

our country is in. >> personally, i am not super scared about the pandemic. >> just ahead, how you can stay safe during an election unlike any other. and keeping the peace from de-escalating those tense political conversations, to relieving that election stress. we'll show you how to manage it all and take a deep breath. today, tuesday, november 3rd, 2020. ♪ uncle sam put your name at the top of the list ♪ >> today our son is turning 2. >> happy birthday, liam. >> happy birthday to the best dad ever. thanks for saving lives and always being there for us. >> hoda, savannah, good morning. >> good morning! ♪ brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue ♪ >> a long-awaited tuesday. thank you for starting your election day with us.

we're happy to have you. >> we're so glad to have you along with us. let's get to the news. 8:00, the stakes and anxiety could not be higher on this election day. we're going to look at the impact of early voting and the coronavirus just ahead. first let's get to nbc's white house correspondent, kristen welker with the latest on the final last dash of campaigning. good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah, good morning to you. voters are lined up here around the block at this philadelphia polling location and overnight president trump and joe biden making their closing arguments, attacking each other and urging people to get out and vote. overnight, president trump and former vice president joe biden vieti vi fighting for every last vote. >> the first step to beating the virus is beating donald trump. >> folks, i have a feeling we're coming together for a big win tomorrow.

>> reporter: hardening his closing argument against president trump. >> the president is fanning the flames of hate. >> reporter: and appearing with lady gaga ♪ tell me something girl ♪ >> reporter: it capped off an election eve battleground blitz, biden making four stops in pennsylvania after starting his day in ohio, where he blasted president trump for suggesting he might fire dr. anthony fauci. >> i've got a better idea. elect me and i'm going to hire dr. fauci. and we're going to fire donald trump. >> reporter: the president also focusing on the pandemic, once again making this false claim. >> we're rounding the corner, we're rounding the corner. you've got to open your states. >> reporter: and also focusing on the election itself, singling out the crucial battleground state of pennsylvania, which can legally count mail-in ballots received over the next three days, a decision upheld by the supreme court.

>> when the supreme court gave you an extension, they made a very dangerous situation, and i mean dangerous, physically dangerous. you know what can happen? number one, cheating can happen like you've never seen. >> reporter: later tweeting that decision will also induce violence in the streets. twitter flagging the tweet, saying it might be misleading. all of it comes after a busy day for the president, traveling nearly 2500 miles on the final day of his 2020 campaign, going after biden in must-win miss miss. >> could he really win? are we serious about this? >> reporter: the president calling into fox news this morning, saying this when asked about declaring possible victory -- >> when there's victory, if there's victory, i think we'll have victory. only when there's victory. there's no reason to play games. >> reporter: now, as for today, biden will make two stops here in pennsylvania, one in scranton and one in philadelphia, before returning to delaware to watch.

president trump is going to thank supporters, then he's invited 300 to 400 people back to the white house to monitor results. officials say covid tests will be required. savannah. >> kristen welker at a polling place in philly. thank you. we have never had a presidential election quite like this one, coinciding with a deadly and surging pandemic. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in wisconsin, a state that is also a covid hot spot good morning >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning. voters already lined up here in downtown milwaukee the polls just opened. this year this state is not just a political battleground, but is also at the center of the battle of the coronavirus day after day this milwaukee drive-through covid testing center is swamp. on this election day, wisconsin's positivity rate is about 30%. it's so bad, retired health care workers are being asked to return to the front lines.

for some voters, covid is the crucial issue. >> just look at the state that our country is in. we're all wearing masks right now still because of how poorly managed the pandemic has been. >> reporter: others aren't so worried. >> personally, i am not super scared about the pandemic. of course if there are people who are scared of it, by all means, take your freedoms and stay home. >> reporter: in a new internal document obtained by the "washington post," dr. deborah birx, the coordinator of the white house coronavirus task force, contradicts president trump and urges an all-out response this is not about lockdowns, she writes it's about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented. in response, the white house insists it has increased testing, ppe, and has safely rushed therapeutics. in el paso, texas, where hospitals are over capacity, authorities say they're working on getting a fourth mobile morgue adding to the frustration, packed halloween parties like these in utah.

in south dakota, one of only two states without a mask mandate, health care workers are overwhelmed. >> we're all trying to keep our cool on the outside. on the inside, we're like i've got so many patients i need to see. >> reporter: how will the pandemic collide with politics today? exerts say voting in person is as safe, if not safer, than going to the grocery store they say wear a mask, make sure the polling place is well ventilated and bring your own pen or styleus how big a concern is the pandemic for you right now >> it's a big concern because i have a lot of health issues. >> reporter: the cdc offers guidelines to fill out a sample ballot at home if you're familiar with it and limit your time inside the polling place. now, wisconsin is one of the states that can't count their absentee ballots until today election officials in milwaukee don't expect to finish counting them until after midnight. it could be a very long night. >> gabe gutierrez there for us, thank you. let's go to a battleground

state long known to be a republican stronghold, but this year democrats think they have a long shot at winning texas garrett haake is in houston with a closer look at that. good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. the story here in texas has been this record-breaking turnout, more than 9 million texans voted during the early voting period that's more texans than voted during 2016. it's new voters that have democrats thinking maybe they can turn the state blue for the first time since 1976. i'm told by sources in both parties the number to watch is 12 million if turnout breaks that number, democrats feel increasingly good about those chances. the lower that number is, the less so. here in houston, late news overnight, these popular drive-through voting centers, all but one of them have been closed to prevent future court challenges to the votes. that means we could see longer lines at traditional polling places like this one >> garrett, thank you. a reminder, nbc news will have you covered as the results

come in. our special prime-time coverage gets under way at 7:00 eastern we'll have poll closings right then at 7:00, 4:00 pacific right here on nbc. we move to breaking news from overseas. for the second time in less than a week, europe has been shaken by a deadly terror attack, this time in the heart of vienna. chief foreign correspondent richard engel joins us with the very latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. police in vienna are still searching for more gunmen who may have been involved in last night's shooting as a precaution, schools have been closed and people are being told to avoid the downtown area. police this morning locked down central vienna as they search for an isis-inspired terrorist who slipped away last night, austrian s.w.a.t. teams responded quickly to a shooting spree here and were

soon under attack themselves [ gunfire >> reporter: bullets sparking at their feet an officer appears to go down, but continues moving police said several gunmen, you can see them here, dressed in white, carrying assault rifles and military-style vests, opened fire near the main synagogue that was closed at the time, and at nearby bars and restaurants, which were especially crowded with a covid lockdown about to begin. witnesses caught glimpse of the gunmen roaming, hunting in the streets, and of medics trying to avoid them to help victims. >> what i saw was an attacker running into bars and restaurants which are adjacent to the building of the synagogue. >> reporter: the interior minister said police killed one attacker, calling him an isis im pa theser, who was also wearing a fake, explosive belt jihadist attacks are on the rise in europe. in france last week, authorities say a suspected islamic radical

stabbed three people in death at a church in nice and last month a teacher was beheaded several suspects have already been arrested, and police identified the gunman who was killed as a 20-year-old former jihadist who was convicted for trying to travel to syria to join isis. hoda, back to you. >> richard engel for us. thank you. also this morning overseas, another incredible story of survival a 4-year-old girl was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in turkey she had been trapped there for four days, after a deadly earth wake that hit western turkey and greece rescuers heard her screams from under the pile of concrete and metal and they managed to pull her to safety. officials say she's doing really well, she's in good condition. >> we've got the news covered. how about a little morning boost? you're never too old to have a dream come true. for his 80th birthday, new jersey grandfather paul kissel had a surprise meal out with his

family for the first time since the lockdown when they left the restaurant, there was even a bigger surprise right outside. take a look. >> happy birthday! happy birthday [ crying ] >> what's he looking at? >> it was the car. >> the family chipped in to buy paul his dream car, a 1972 mercedes convertible >> wow >> they said it was tough to track one down they spent months restoring. paul's granddaughter said the hardest part was keeping everything secret during the whole meal they had to make it through a whole meal before they could surprise him. >> that's beautiful. that's what my dad would call a courtin' car really cute. coming up next, as america votes the rest of the world

watches. why this race is drawing added interest and scrutiny across the globe. keir simmons has that part of the story live from london this morning right after this but not anymore! an alternative to pills voltaren is the first full prescription strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel to target pain directly at the source for powerful arthritis pain relief. voltaren. the joy of movement. into deals for days. starting wednesday november 4th score deals like an $88 42 inch onn roku tv and get them at our new deals pickup. let's end the year saving bigger. and get them at our new deals pickup. ♪ ♪ chit, chit. jif peanut butter. chit, chit. it's that jif-ing good, you'd dress up like a squirrel for it.

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there's also a lot at stake on a global scale as well, and the world is certainly watching. "today's" senior international correspondent keir simmons is in london with that part of the story. good morning to you. >> reporter: that's absolutely right. this election hasn't just polarized people there, it has divided people around the world and the results are reverberate globally billions are holding their breath this morning, america's election making headlines around the world, anxiously awaiting the outcome. fears for democracy says one newspaper, even russia accused of election meddling, left watching and waiting this morning. >> translator: we will accept any decision of the american people >> reporter: in mexico, strong feelings >> there's been a lot of

animosity because of trump's presidency. >> reporter: in afghanistan, the longest war, fear of a u.s. withdrawal and a taliban resurgence. >> we are not agree with taliban coming because they have still want to beat womans. >> reporter: most of europe has made up its mind just 10% of germans said they had confidence in president trump. >> damage has been done to the transatlantic relations. >> reporter: in the uk, america's closest ally, only 19% of people said they approved of america's president. while many countries like saudi arabia, india, brazil and israel favor president trump, last year 71% of israelis expressed confidence in president trump's handling of global affairs. >> i think he have a very big impact on the middle east, a good impact. he loves israel very much. >> reporter: the trump administration brought israel

together with neighbors like the uae and bahrain, leaving out the palestinians president trump confronted iran, but its supreme leader this morning claiming it doesn't matter who wins. >> translator: our policies does not change with the movement of individuals, the ayatollah khomeini says. china is seen as the number one challenge for america's next president, economically and increasing increasingly militarily. >> this is the issue of the 21st century. >> reporter: the world witnessing an election unlike any other. >> will you shut up, man >> listen, who is on -- >> reporter: from the bitter back and forth to casting doubts on the process. >> we have a day that's called november 3rd we don't have a date that says many days later. the whole world is waiting to find out >> reporter: and tomorrow america will leave the paris climate accord

there is perhaps no more important international issue than the environment, and depending on today's vote, america will go in different directions think about this, craig. around the world millions of people don't have a vote in this election and don't even have a vote for their own leader. just by going and voting today, america is demonstrating democracy and, craig, of course, america is at its best when it leads by example >> hear hear to that keir simmons with a look at how our friends and foes alike are trying to make sense of it thank you. savannah. >> craig, let's get a chance of the weather from mr. roker. >> let's take a quick look and show you what's happening across the country. we are looking at really only a big pacific storm in the pacific northwest, maybe a few early snow showers let's take a look at the midwest, battleground states there. after you warm up, wisconsin, michigan, sunny and cool a cold start in pennsylvania but warms up nicely. ohio, mild sunshine. north carolina, morning frost

and freezes, gets up into the 60s. an early frost for georgia and then into the 60s. gusty ocean winds in florida out west, sunny and warm in nevada, a high of 84 in las vegas. hot in the desert and maybe a good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. here's a look at our high temperatures for today. it's going to be a really nice afternoon as our highs reach mostly into the upper 70s. we'll see some mid-70s for the peninsula down to the south bay. as we go through the forecast, we'll enjoy a few more days like this. slightly cooler temperatures. but it gets much cooler for the weekend. temperatures dropping on friday, and there will even be a slight chance of some light rain in the forecast on sunday into monday. >> that' that's your latest weather don't forget off the rails live at 1:00 p.m. guys >> al, thank you

carson daily is in the house and we're going to turn to another important as expect of election day. >> that is right, navigating conversations with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, that can be especially tricky and especially tense on a day like today. >> here to help us is nbc's investigative and consumer correspondent, vicky nguyen, who is also a psychologist just kidding, but we kind of need one first of all, i guess the big question is, should you even go there? is this one of those things, just don't talk about politics and everyone will be happier >> this morning i was talking to my mom and that is her policy. i think you have to ask yourself what is your pain tolerance level, do you like a good strong debate, you want to talk about strong opinions, or are you just hanging on by a thread right now and you would rather not talk about it will this be a conversation that makes you feel better or feel worse? it's okay if it's something you don't want to talk about mental health experts have a term for it, it's election stress disorder. people are feeling that high of a level of anxiety because of the high stakes of the election. so just check in with yourself

before you open the door to that conversation. >> there's different kinds of conversations and folks. let's say your family, what is your advice if it's about having this kind of political conversation with family members? >> if we're talking about it today or when we're talking about it, you know, three weeks from today, the guiding principle in talking about politics should be listening and understanding. you're not approaching it, especially today, to try to persuade anyone. people have made up their minds. but if you have an honest question and you're going to ask it, then take the time to pause, to listen, to let that answer marinade and you're seeking understanding. you're not seeking to make your counterpoint, so listen. >> i think the tone is important. some people will say why do you feel that way. somebody once said to me, just say, tell me more, which leaves it open so that person will be able to talk to you. the other thing is about kids. our kids are around, the results start coming in, i don't know when, 7:00 or 8:00 when they start coming in. should they be around while this is all going down? >> it's up to you. we're definitely going to have

election coverage on in our house. any time we've been watching things up until now, it's been some of the most interesting conversations because we have an 8-year-old and an 11 yearly. they're so innocent and curious. they ask so many interesting questions. i think the challenge for us as parents and grown-ups is just to present to them both sides i want to see what their opinions are going to be and that is a challenge to us, right? my husband and i, we don't always agree on everything we just try to give them the most neutral information and sometimes that makes you research the other side. so that's the way to handle it and then election night, you know, emotions can be high just remember your kids really take their cues from you, and so you don't want to lose it. and whatever happens tonight, remind them, our lives won't change overnight yes, we have real concerns about jobs, small businesses, about our health care, but just help them know that worrying is not productive let's focus on what we can control. >> just what keir was saying, we live in a democracy where we get to go and the ultimate privilege is to cast your vote and this is

democracy in action. >> it's also a teachable moment to tell your kids how to communicate. there's a nice way or not nice way to say something you can express how you feel, but there's a way to do it so you can still be friends with the other kid. >> it's almost bringing out the best in ourselves to model that for our kids. >> that's good stuff. >> what about friends? >> yeah, and neighbors. >> yeah, we talked about this. we consulted lizzie post, an etiquette expert and she said it's important to ask permission i wouldn't just ask you, who did you vote for, carson, i would say what do you think about discussing the election and that gives you the opportunity to say let's talk about it or i would rather not and it doesn't put so much pressure on the other person. >> good advice remember, we're all humans. >> yeah, we are. still coming up, can you guess which video just became the most viewed video ever on youtube? a small clue, sorry, savannah, your favorite song is out. your kids will know the answer to this. we'll have more on pop start

coming up first, a quick check of your local news and weather good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. well, election day finally here. polls opening here in california 7:00, about an hour and a half ago. but, of course, millions of californians voted early this time around. state election leaders say more than half the state's eligible voters have already cast their ballots. if you're not registered to vote, you still can cast a conditional ballot. just go to your polling place or county election office to register, then vote. the first numbers will come in a little after 8:00 p.m. when those polls close. >> let's get a look at the election day forecast for you. kari hall has been tracking that. >> yeah, we head out in the north bay. we've had some chilly

temperatures to start this morning, but it's going to warm up and turn out to be a really nice afternoon. we're looking at temperatures that will reach into the low 70s during the middle of the day and cool off quickly later on this evening. but a mostly clear sky. as we go through the rest of the forecast, a few more days like this with highs inland reaching into the upper 70s. notice the weekend as our temperatures drop, we're going to have slight rain chances in the forecast for sunday. and it's going to be a big change from the weather we've seen recently. so we are in for at least a big drop in temperatures and changes here over the next several days, marcus. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. i'll see you then. give you my world ♪

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baby shark is. [ laughter ] all caps! ♪ >> oh, my gosh ♪ we are back. it is election day in america, the 3rd of november, 2020. there is nothing in the world that a little "love train" can't fix. >> music changes your mood instantly. that's the perfect song for right now. >> carson is here. ready for pop start? >> we've got the blue wave, the red wave, the independent wave.

>> it's a tsunami. >> that's right. tell you what, i had a great conversation, i'm a huge fan of the howard stern show and pearl jam and i can't believe that eddie vedder has never been on our show he was on for three hours, it was an amazing video eddie was talking about helping bradley cooper become the rock star that he was and he got nominated for "a star is born". >> lester said it really well on nightly news with the election and the pandemic this is one of those deep breath moments for the country. so we are going to pause and we're going to take one. we have our mental health expert, jay shetty, who is going to share a trick we can all do in this moment to make ourselves feel better. >> breathing expert jay shetty he breathes every single day craig? also ahead, we are going to focus on a few aspects of the election that are truly inspiring, the stories of the first-time voters and the older

americans who are heading out to vote despite those hours' long lines, and the next generation of poll workers who really have stepped up in a big way, al. >> that's right, and on the third hour, music superstar usher sharing the special way he's honoring his mom when they both join us live. let's get one more check of the weather this morning. >> we've got hurricane eta that's still out there and it's probably going to make landfall as a category 4 storm. this is the latest a category 4 has ever made landfall the reason we care, it's going to dump a ton of rain, 35 inches in some of the mountains of nicaragua, but then it comes out into the caribbean sea and it's remnants may develop and you look at some of the models, we could be having to worry about this thing into next week. it is in fact the ninth storm that has rapidly intensified this season and we've never seen this kind of thing so, again, we're going to be watching thi

>> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a look at our high temperatures for today. for the inland areas we'll reach into the upper 70s. more 70s for the next couple of days and then a big drop in temperatures on friday and into the weekend. highs only into the 50s. we'll also see more clouds and a slight chance of some rain moving in on sunday. and for san francisco, expect a lot more clouds in the forecast after today. we're going to see those highs in the 50s for the weekend. and that's your latest weather. cousin cars up next, need a reason to smile? we're going to jump on the twitter trend and share the movie lines that are pting aut

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we're back 8:35 p. it's the american thing to do, pop start.

>> it is our civic duty to enjoy pop start. eddie vedder, the pearl jam front man was on the howard stern show and in an interview he talked about a lot of things, including how he gave bradley cooper some tips on how to play a rock star when he did the movie "a star is born" after giving him the tips, he warned him not many people can pull off playing a rocker. vedder is saying he was fully expecting to be disappointed by the final movie. >> i will admit the first time he asked if we would come down and see it, on the way over i'm thinking of all the ways i can let him down nicely. you know, just like how do i not -- i want to be honest, but how do i -- so, you know, a little nervous and i'll tell you, when i saw it, i just was -- i was just [ bleep ] blown away

i mean, it really -- it took me there. i'm getting chills right now. >> how about that? that's high praise from eddie vedder that means you nailed it cooper went on to score an oscar nomination for that roel up next, john lithgow's career goes back to the 1960s. last night on jimmy kimmel his knowledge of his own work was put to the test. he played a little game called, did i say that and had to guess if lines people were saying were ones that he had said in past movies and shows >> wow >> the last time i held a gun in this hand, a young man took off all his clothes for me. >> john, did you say that? >> no, i didn't say that >> well, let's look at some tape >> the last time i held a gun in this hand, a young man took off all his clothes for me [ laughter ] >> you're very bad at this. >> i don't even know what that

>> john quincy adams, you're comparing me to that freak show? >> no, i don't think i said that. >> john quincy adams, you're comparing me to that freak show? [ laughter ] >> john lithgow has forgotten more movies he's been in. >> that was from "3rd rock from the sun". next up, the record, i'm sorry, savannah, has been broken. most viewed video on youtube and it was a long good run for despacito, notching over 7 billion views. but the new record breaker that just hit 7.04 billion, parents everywhere are probably familiar with it. >> baby shark. ♪ baby shark ♪ ♪ baby shark

>> can we call on despacito nation to come and start watching it again today to knock baby shark out? >> you know what it is? all of our kids watch this and they go, again, again, again. >> you're right. >> 2020, baby. >> there you go. >> wow. >> finally, it's election day and many people are feeling a little anxious. jay shetty will be on in a few months. we thought we would highlight, there was a trending topic on twitter that i think is going to make you happy. the toronto international film festival fwe festival tweeted out what scene or line never fails to put a smile on your face. one of the most liked, this classic. >> do you remember me? >> no, i'm sorry. >> i was in here yesterday. you wouldn't wait on me. >> oh. >> you work on commission, right? >> yes. >> big mistake. big, huge. >> we're all smiling. another top moment was from the movie "love actually."

roll it. ♪ jump for my love ♪ jumping ♪ feel my touch ♪ if you want to taste my kisses in the night ♪ >> hoda, what scene makes you smile? >> mine was from "love actually," but it was the last scene. do you remember when the little boy was running through the airport to get the girl and he gets the girl, he says that he loves her, but what's great is -- gets the kiss, and then his dad, liam neeson, he runs to his dad and he gives him the big, like, i did it! this moment. give me that thumbs up, babe. come on, are you feeling it? he did it! >> savannah, what was yours? >> mine is totally random, but this is one of the most hilarious scenes from probably my favorite movie, "broadcast news." it's hilarious.

♪ ♪ dah dah >> it's just two guys trying to impress the network news bosses with the new network theme song. it's bizarre. >> from the movie "airplane," lloyd bridges just builds and builds. >> i picked the wrong week to quit drinking. i picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. >> that whole movie is chock full of those. >> a good one. mine was weird, but trust me. coming up next, we've got another reason to smile and breathe. jay shetty is going to be along to help us release a lot of stress a lot who's supp oorting prop 15? joe biden. biden says, "every kid deserves a quality education and every family deserves to live in a safe, healthy community. that's why i support prop. 15." vote yes. schools and communities first is responsible for the contents of this ad.

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who'sgovernor gavin newsom. the governor says prop 15 is, "fair, phased-in, and long overdue reform", that "will exempt small businesses and residential property owners." join governor newsom. vote yes on 15. we are back with a closer look and ways to cope with what's being called election stress disorder. it's a real thing. >> that's right. that may not actually be a medical diagnosis, but some health officials say it is a

very real thing. according to a recent survey nearly 70% of adults say the election has become a significant source of stress in their lives, people experiencing everything from anxiety to restless nights, to difficulty concentrating. >> how can you manage this added weight of stress and by the way, yes, we are in a pandemic as well let's take a deep breath with jay shetty, a former monk and best-selling author. no matter what side of the political equation you find yourself on, a lot of people are anxious about not only the result but the unrest that people are feeling in the country. what advice would you give folks if they're feeling a little on edge today >> yeah, the first thing is we're checking our updates and checking our phones. it's really important that we check in with ourselves today. a great way to do that is three simple questions the first question is, what am i grateful for today gratitude is a great state shifter and moves us away from anxiety and into action. the second question is, what can

i do to feel healthy it's really important that self-care is at the top of our agenda the third question is, what do i need to do today to make it a great day? usually our stresses and pressures are things that are beyond us. these three questions make it about things we can control and start doing right now. >> there's the saying that says you're the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with, so you should choose wisely i bet in this moment it's probably really important to keep that circle tight, whoever your circle is, people who encourage you and lift you up. >> absolutely. and one of the best ways to do it is to try and take a step tot the are worrying list or letter the second thing is, reach outto

to someone to have try explain e you are of smart that you can tn >> give me one step deeper from somebody who suffered from anxiety and panic for a long time if i was watching this interview, i would say i love those things, they're great. but the physical uncomfortable feeling of high anxiety and panic, what it physically does to you, all the sort of breathi breathing techniques don't seem to mitigate some of the physical effects. what can you offer for that? >> i love what you were doing earlier, playing a good song has a great physical impact, breathing in a calming scent to. some have a scent that cools and calms down your body also calling someone up and letting it all out, i think it's fair to cry and share that, those feelings i don't think we need to stop

and block them today i think we need to allow ourselves to feel them. >> how do you feel about letting yourself imagine what you perceive to be the worst case scenario i find that to be a great stress reliever because i let myself think about the thing i fear and then i go to the next step and i say i would still be okay, my family would still be okay do you think that's a helpful thing to do or a dangerous thing to do for some folks >> the say you do it, savannah, sounds absolutely great. i think that's a great set of steps to be able to imagine, but then remind yourself the things you value most have not changed. but if that's a scary thought to yourself, it's also great to imagine, well, what if things go great. even if they don't go great, what if they just go okay? so i think visualizing and allowing yourself to go down each of those paths, depending on your own level of stress tolerance, is a great way of looking at it. >> so many things are adding to the stress and a lot of people are looking at their

neighborhoods and seeing buildings boarded up it seems crazy to think about that nothing has happened yet, but just the physical, seeing these things and i guess you do have to remind yourself, like, everybody is okay right now, you see these images they may be scary, but we're fine in this moment. >> yeah, i think it's also a good reminder to see that cities are taking action earlier and that way we can feel safer and feel that it's a proactive approach >> tell you what, i always struggle with compound worry, jay. i let my sort catastrophic thin get away from me and i get in this wormhole of negative thinking how do you stop that >> well, i think one of the interesting things is that we always look at winning or losing as the end, when the truth is when we really believe in something, we stand for a cause, when we have a deep purpose or a mission in our lives, it has no end.

and i think recognizing that win or lose, there is no end, it's just a continuous cycle of standing up again, committing for what we believe in and taking a stand and i think as long as we realize that the desire to make the world better and provide for future generations is something that we need to commit to for the long term, win or lose. >> can you give us just a quick breathing exercise, since we're all here and eager >> absolutely. let's do something simple. i'm going to ask you to place your left palm on your stomach, your right hand on your heart. together, with everyone watching back at home, what we're going to do in a second is breathe in for a count of four and out for more than four so breathe in. >> through the nose? >> through the nose, and out for four through the mouth really extend that exhale. >> our producer is telling me,

wrap it up, we've got to wrap it up that is not helping my anxiety jay, thank you so much we always love talking to you. >> thanks. >> have a wonderful day. coming up next, voters in their own words on the importance of having their voices heard and the volunteers who have stepped up in this pandemic to make thaa reality.t ♪ ♪ ♪

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don't you have like a hot pilates class to get to or something? [ muffled scream ] stop living with at&t. xfinity can deliver gig to the most homes. on this election morning, 40 million to 50 million people are expected to head to the polls. >> of course that's on top of the nearly 100 million who have already cast their ballots that turnout, historic, and in a year like this it's important to highlight why it's so important. here is joe fryer. >> reporter: those long lines streaming into polling places around the country look like

something you would expect on the first tuesday in november. these images were captured on mondays and wednesdays and weekends in october, even september. they're portraits of an election that can not be confined by a day or week or month >> i would walk through glass and hot charcoal in bare feet to make this election >> reporter: this year, many simply could not wait for election day, though they could wait in line >> we are willing to wait any length of time, yes. >> reporter: after months trapped in your home, what's a few hours standing among fellow voters >> 30 degree weather for an hour and a half, if we have to. >> reporter: in return for that wait, some were rewarded with free entertainment, a few even got treats hand delivered by celebrities like paul rudd and mariska hargitay >> who said voting is not fun? >> reporter: and everyone was given that precious sticker worn

as a badge of honor. in new york, they adorned the grave of susan b. anthony who was arrested for casting her ballot back in 1972. >> she fought for our right to do this. >> reporter: over the last few weeks we've repeatedly asked why. >> i think that voting is important. >> reporter: why vote early? >> because this is the most important vote of my life. >> reporter: why wait in long lines? >> because there was a time when black people couldn't vote they fought to give me the right to vote, so that's why i'm voting. >> reporter: speaking with voters, we heard a constant theme. >> i just wanted to make sure it was counted. >> i just wanted to make sure my vote was cast. >> reporter: in a year when so much seems beyond our control, voters could mask up and line up, or mail in their ballots the pandemic couldn't even keep away poll workers, a role often filled by people over the age of

60, a high-risk covid group. >> i don't want any grandparents working the polls. >> reporter: in their place, thousands and thousands of young people stepped up. many of those youngsters are also voting for the first time. >> in detroit, this great grandmother cast her absentee ballot at the age of 103 definitely not her first time. >> i can remember voting for roosevelt in 1940. i've done my voting in september, absentee ballot >> reporter: eight decades later, it's a civic duty that remains as important as ever. >> it's your responsibility to cut the grass, to keep your neighborhood clean it's your responsibility as a citizen to get out here and vote >> reporter: it's why in america our votes don't seem like fading stars hidden in a far-off galaxy each one feels as vital as the sun. >> my vote matters and i'm here to make my voice be known.

>> reporter: voices resounding loudly not just on this one day, but throughout this entire election season. for "today," joe fire, nbc news. that's a good place to end it >> that's a perfect spot that's going to do it for this hour savannah guthrie, we will see you tonight, prime-time coverage it's going to be a long one. but first, guys, a look at your local news and weather good morning. it's 8:56. election day has finally arrived. the polls opened at 7:00 this morning. of course, millions of californians voted early this time around. state election leaders say more than half of the state's eligible voters have already cast their ballots. if you aren't registered to vote

you can still cast a ballot. the first numbers will come in a little after 8:00 p.m. when those polls close. we have team coverage across the bay area. our kris sanchez is monitoring the voter turnout. there's also concern about possible unrest as the results start to come in. we'll have complete coverage for you in a one-hour special edition of our midday newscast coming up at 11:00. also, head over to our home page for more of election coverage. [ sfx: bzzz bzzz bzzz ]

[ sfx: ping ping beep beep bloop bloop ] [ sfx: honk ] [ sfx: pop pop pop pop ] [ sfx: pop ping bloop pop ping bloop ] the day can wait. enter the golden state with real california dairy. woman: after covid, my hours got so we can't pay our bills. and now our family budget is gonna be hit hard with prop 15. the yes on 15 ads say it only raises taxes on big corporations. that's not true - we're all going to pay. $11 billion in new property taxes will get passed on to small businesses and farms. they'll raise prices...

...higher gas, health care, food...even day care. we can't make ends meet now. families can't afford 15. no on prop 15. live from studio 1a in rack feller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> welcome to the third tour of "today." a date that's been circled on the calendar for a long, long time, i'm al along with and others working from home. i understand, gregg, lindsey has lost her sense of taste. it just confirms her marrying you. >> you are a stinker. >> you know, he texted me that