Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, and it's also the last day to vote by mail. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received by your county elections office by Nov. 12. In California, voters will decide on several key races, including the U.S. Senate seat, Congressional seats, and state and local offices.

Way back when, presidential races would be called a couple hours after dinner and voters would have almost immediate gratification about who won which seats on Election Day. That's not the case anymore.