While a record-shattering 76 million people have already voted, Election Day itself remains the milestone that several media-political developments seem to be aiming toward. The reasons for that aren’t restricted to the goal of catching those last remaining undecided voters. There is also the question of the election’s aftermath and what will happen if the results (as expected) aren’t entirely conclusive. The risks of violence are being monitored by global election-monitoring groups including the International Crisis Group.

Most prominently, the Senate’s hearings on Big Tech, surprising in their timing so close to the election, are revealing themselves to be politically very interesting and contentious. I had earlier shared the view that the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Google would be interesting to watch, and that it indicates some measure of convergence between Democrats and Conservatives, despite somewhat different motivations. Now it seems the divergence around big tech has become more obvious. Democracy Now‘s interview this morning with Digital Cultures Lab director Ramesh Srinivasan provides some interesting observations about Republicans’ claims that Big Tech is biased against conservatives, when data indicate Big Tech’s influence, not just here but around the world, has largely been supportive of illiberal politicians and the conspiratorial claims that often drive their campaigns.

Meanwhile, Politico has an update on what’s been happening with the Hunter Biden “laptop from hell” narrative. (Not much, it seems, as the right-wing mediasphere hasn’t been able to give it much traction.)

All for now. More to come.