Nov. 5 is finally upon us.

The big picture: Days before the election, the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll of the cycle showed Vice President Harris unexpectedly beating former President Trump by three percentage points.

• Pollster J. Ann Selzer has historically had an accurate pulse of Iowa, thanks to her thorough methodology, according to RealClear Polling.

Case in point: In 2020, her poll showed Trump with a large lead in Iowa while others expected a narrow race or even a Biden win.

• She was also the pollster who projected a large Trump win in 2016 and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst pulling ahead in 2014 against Bruce Braley.

Yes, but: Harris' narrow lead still falls within the poll's margin of error, plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Flashback: In 2018, the gubernatorial Iowa Poll between Democrat Fred Hubbell and then-Lieutenant Gov. Kim Reynolds showed Hubbell leading by two points.

• But the margin of error was similarly 3.5 plus or minus points and Reynolds ended up winning.

💭 Our thought bubble: Your vote matters!

• Get the ins and outs with our guide below.

🗳️ Where to vote: Look up your polling place on the Secretary of State's website.

• ✉️ If you requested a mail-in ballot that you haven't yet returned, it's too late to send it by mail. Either drop it off at your county's Election Office before polls close or surrender it at your polling place and vote in person.

⏰ When to vote: Polling places are open 7am-8pm. Use the polling place finder to check when your site will be open.

🗣 Where do the candidates stand? Republicans and Democrats have their own favorites for each race.

• Find Polk County Democrats' preferred picks here.
• And here are Polk County GOP-backed candidates.

✅ How to track: Follow Axios for live updates tonight on all of the local and national races!

• Make sure to bookmark our page for live results Tuesday covering Iowa's presidential, congressional and legislative results.

Go deeper

If tonight's election results are similar to 2020's — Iowa could see some tight races that prompt ballot recounts tonight and tomorrow.

Flashback: Several major Iowa recounts have occurred in recent years.

• In 2020, a recount was called for Iowa's 2nd District, where U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks ended up winning by only six votes against Democrat Rita Hart.
• In 2022, recounts in two counties cemented a narrow victory for State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat to win state office that year.

How it works: Any candidate may request a recount, but who pays for it depends on the margins, according to Iowa Code. A candidate may request a recount up to three days after the official vote tallies are conducted.

• If the margin of victory is 50 votes or 1% of the total number of votes cast, the state will cover recount costs.
• Otherwise, the candidate who requests the recount is responsible for the costs.

Yes, but: Those costs are refunded if the recount changes the outcome.

Details: Each county then designates a recount board made up of three members: one chosen by the apparent winner, one by the apparent loser and a third person agreed upon by both.

• The board decides to conduct the recount by hand or machine.

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🏢 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. sold another of its downtown DSM buildings — this one was its former print shop at 204 12th St.

• Elevator Co-warehousing + Community, a Nebraska-based company that rents office space to small businesses, purchased the building. (Des Moines Register)

🏳️‍🌈 Iowa State University is restructuring a campus LGBTQ center to comply with a state law that prohibits public universities from funding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices and programs. (Radio Iowa)

✈️ Here are 10 cheap roundtrip flights out of Des Moines this month. (Des Moines Register)

If 2020 is our guide, it's likely that the 2024 presidential election won't be decided on Election Day.

Why it matters: Any period of uncertainty could see the country thrust into a time of legal drama, paralyzed governance and overall distrust, as Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported.

• Because of post-2020 legal changes nationwide — including in all seven swing states — many results could be slower than in 2020, when President Biden declared victory over former President Trump after the Associated Press called Pennsylvania on the Saturday after Election Day.

Flashback: Many of the 2020 results came in quickly, but uncertainty in a few critical states left the outcome unclear.

• The AP called 26 states instantly as their polls closed, and another five within an hour.
• 45 states and the District of Columbia were called within 24 hours, but Biden and Trump remained short of the 270 electoral vote threshold for victory.
• The Pennsylvania call in Biden's favor — over 87 hours after polls closed there — decided the race. The call for Nevada came about 50 minutes later.

Iowa was called for Trump at 11:21pm CT.

What to watch: Key swing states Georgia and North Carolina took much longer to be called in 2020, and it's entirely possible that this year's election could hinge on the results there.

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Breathe in ... breathe out. If the election is stressing you out, remember to put down your phone and step outside for a bit.

Linh's mental happy place today will be hanging with these five cats at Whiterock Conservancy over the weekend.