After months of polarizing rhetoric, unexpected pivots and misinformation galore, election season is finally coming to a close. But regardless of what happens today — and in the days and weeks that follow — sharp political divides will remain, and we will have to face people with divergent opinions. Here are five ways to avoid conflict with the people around you as the election dust settles.

And here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Election Day

Americans head to the polls today to cast their votes. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — who made contrasting closing pitches Monday night — each need at least 270 electoral votes to win the White House. The battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are expected to be pivotal to the path to victory. In a sign of just how tight the race for president is, Harris and Trump tied with three votes each in the tiny New Hampshire community of Dixville Notch, which opened and closed its poll just after midnight ET in a decades-old tradition. Check out CNN’s hour-by-hour guide of what to expect when state polls begin closing at 7 p.m. ET.

Follow CNN’s live Election Day coverage here for updates.

2. Boeing

Striking workers at Boeing voted Monday to accept the company’s most recent offer, ending the costliest strike in the US in more than 25 years. The International Association of Machinists said rank-and-file members voted by 59% to approve the deal. Members had voted almost unanimously against Boeing’s first offer on the eve of the strike, and then 64% voted against the second offer less than two weeks ago. The 33,000 union members, who have been on strike since September 13, will start returning to work Wednesday. The deal calls for an immediate raise of 13% and subsequent smaller raises over the next four years that will add up to a more than 43% pay increase. Workers also get a ratification bonus of $12,000, part of which they can contribute to 401(k) retirement accounts, but the deal did not restore the traditional pension plan they lost in 2014 in the previous labor deal.

3. Tropical Storm Raphael

Tropical Storm Rafael is strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday, bringing destructive winds, dangerous storm surge and heavy rainfall to the region. Rafael was approximately 105 miles south-southwest of Jamaica earlier today, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to hit Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands later in the day and make landfall in Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday. Parts of the Florida Keys could even see impacts beginning Wednesday evening. While it remains uncertain what US impacts Rafael may have, Gulf Coast residents are urged to stay updated.

4. Power plant plot

A Tennessee man faces federal charges for allegedly plotting to blow up a Nashville energy facility, an attack that if successful could have left thousands without power, the Justice Department said Monday. Skyler Philippi, 24, was arrested on Saturday when he “believed he was moments away” from launching a drone armed with explosives at an electric substation in the Nashville area, according to a DOJ news release. He’s charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility. Philippi’s plan was an attempt “to further his white supremacist ideology –– but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the release. A criminal complaint filed in US District Court alleges that Philippi revealed his plan to a confidential source.

5. Teacher scandal

A high school basketball coach and two assistant principals in Houston have been arrested in connection with an alleged teacher certification scheme. Prosecutors say more than 200 people paid to have someone else take the state certification exam and now are scattered in classrooms across Texas. State and local education officials are scrambling to track down the now-certified teachers who allegedly cheated. Two other people not employed by the school district also have been charged. Prosecutors said all five defendants face two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity. They have yet to enter pleas.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Chiefs prevail against Tampa

Kansas City overcame rainy conditions and a Patrick Mahomes injury scare to win after trailing behind the Bucs most of last night’s game. The back-to-back NFL champs are now 8-0.

Eco-friendly satellite

The first wooden satellite was launched into space today and will later be released into orbit. Researchers are testing the cosmic potential of the renewable material as humans explore living in space.

Italian souven-air

Wishing you were on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, but can’t quite afford the plane ticket? Now you can pop open a can of air captured from the popular tourist spot for just $11.

At-home depression treatment

A headset worn at home that zaps the brain with the energy of a 9-volt battery could help relieve symptoms of depression, a new study shows.

After awhile, crocodile

Cassius, the world’s largest crocodile in captivity, recently died at an Australian wildlife sanctuary. The 18-foot croc was believed to be more than 110 years old.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$212,000

That’s how much Kim Kardashian paid for a diamond-lined cross pendant once worn by the late Princess Diana. Kardashian wore the jewelry for the first time in public at the 2024 LACMA Art+Film Gala last weekend.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“I’m not proud of it … I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing.”

—Jason Kelce, who apologized during ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” after a viral video captured an interaction between the retired NFL player and a heckler. A fan is heard using a homophobic slur directed at Kelce about his brother Travis, who is dating Taylor Swift. Jason Kelce turns around, grabs someone’s cellphone, and spikes it to the ground.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …