October 28, 2020

What you need to know about the 2020 election

WATCH: Election year 2020 by the numbers

The 2020 election is already in full swing as tens of millions of voters have cast their vote through the mail or at early voting sites.

A lot is riding in this year's races and ballot measures, all under the shadow of the coronavirus, which has changed the way the public is taking part in this year's vote and how candidates are approaching their races.

An unprecedented number of mail-in votes is expected this year, as voters try to stay safe from the novel coronavirus, but droves of Americans are donning masks and heading to the polls in person ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3 as well. The novel environment has led to concerns and a host of legal challenges, including the deadline for ballots to be accepted in some states, and more litigation could follow Election Day.

And beyond the race for president between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the balance of power in Congress is at stake as well as a slew of consequential statewide and local races.

ABC News is not only bringing you the latest reporting from the trail, but also publishing a series of pieces to help navigate the complex issues surrounding this election.

Here is what you need to know:

Voting in the time of the pandemic

Ethan Miller/Getty Images
A poll worker sanitizes a voting booth between voters inside a tent at a shopping center on the first day of in-person early voting on Oct. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas.

Election 2020: Why voting in the coronavirus pandemic will be unlike any other year

How to spot voter intimidation and what to do

Voter registration deadlines for each state

Here's what you need to know to vote this election as a 1st-time voter

Here's how states have changed the rules around voting amid the coronavirus pandemic

Here’s what to know about mail-in voting for November

How to stay safe when hitting the polls this election season

Drive-thru voting, wait-time technology and more safety measures at the polls this election

Early in-person voting seen as strong option for concerned voters

‘Like a yo-yo’: Election officials grapple with flood of confusing last-minute rule changes

Authorities ramp up fight against misinformation and voter suppression

Paper ballots dos and don'ts

Mark Makela/Getty Images
A voter casts her early voting ballot at drop box outside of City Hall, Oct. 17, 2020, in Philadelphia.

Election 2020: How to fill out your mail ballot correctly and avoid having it rejected

'Naked ballots' in Pennsylvania could be election wild card

Received 2 ballots? Here's what to do

As popularity skyrockets, ballot drop boxes face unexpected obstacles

Long lines, broken machines: Why voters should not be too worried about some poll site snafus

Signature verification could complicate massive mail ballot count, experts say

How and when your vote counts

Hannah Mckay/Reuters
People fill out ballots in privacy booths at a polling station located in the Baltimore City Community College gymnasium in Baltimore, during early voting in Maryland, Oct. 26, 2020.

The Electoral College: How presidents are elected

When will your ballot be counted in the 2020 election? A look at what goes into the tallying process

How battleground states process mail ballots -- and why it may mean delayed results

What happens if the House has to decide the next president?

A 'Twitterized Bush v Gore 2.0'? It's possible, election experts say

The presidential candidates on the issues

Jim Bourg/Reuters
President Donald Trump speaks during the third and final presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 22, 2020.

Donald Trump: What you need to know about the Republican nominee for president

Joe Biden: What you need to know about the Democratic presidential nominee

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Health

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Economy

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Racial justice

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Election security and integrity

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Climate change and the environment

Trump vs. Biden on the issues: Foreign policy

The vice presidential candidates on the issues

Pool/Getty Images
Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence participate in the vice presidential debate at the University of Utah on Oct. 7, 2020, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mike Pence: What you need to know about the Republican nominee for vice president

Kamala Harris: Everything you need to know about the Democratic nominee for vice president

Pence vs. Harris on the issues

Kamala Harris vs. Mike Pence on the issues: Abortion

Race for Congress

Key Senate races that could tilt the balance of power toward Democrats on Election Day

Battleground states

John Amis/Atlanta Journal Constitution via EPA via Shutterstock
A line snakes through the parking lot as the first day of early voting gets underway at the Mountain Park Activity Building in Stone Mountain, Ga., Oct. 12, 2020.

Biden, Trump campaigns focus in on Pennsylvania

Donald Trump in 'jam' in Minnesota as early in-person voting begins, but 'turnout' key for Joe Biden

Trump, Biden compete for battleground Ohio ahead of 1st debate

Republicans prepare for post-Election Day legal fights in battleground states

'Don't wait': Some swing state officials urge voters to bypass the mail to return ballots

Ballot measures

Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images, FILE
Election workers assist voters at Scarborough High School, July 14, 2020, in Scarborough, Maine.

How conservative South Dakota could be at the forefront of legalizing marijuana

Coloradans are voting on an abortion ban: What to know about Proposition 115

What is ranked-choice voting and why one state is using it for the presidential election

DC ballot initiative could decriminalize psychedelic plants, like magic mushrooms, in the city