There are many permutations of the U.S. presidential election \u2014 some messier than others.\n\nJoe Biden\u2019s lead in national polls suggests he has a number of paths to victory. If states like Florida or Georgia break for him early on, then the Trump campaign could be in for a long night.\n\nThe task for President Trump is to close those paths. If he can hold Florida and quickly add the likes of Arizona and North Carolina, then the signs could point to re-election.\n\nAnd then there is a third scenario. If fast-counting states are too close to call immediately and battlegrounds in the Midwest take a long time to tally votes, then a long wait for a final result \u2014 and bitter, lengthy legal challenges \u2014 could be on the cards.\n\nWe speak to Alexander Burns, a national political correspondent for The Times, on the likely plotlines for election night.\n\n\n\n\nGuest: Alexander Burns, a national political correspondent for The New York Times, walks us through possible election night scenarios.\xa0\n\n\n\n\nIn addition to our regular show on Election Day, The Daily is going LIVE tomorrow afternoon. Spend your Election Day with Michael Barbaro and Carolyn Ryan, deputy managing editor at The Times, as they call our correspondents for the latest on a history-making day.\n\nTune in from 4 - 8 p.m. Eastern, only on nytimes.com/thedaily. Click here for more information.\xa0\n\n\n\n\nBackground reading:\xa0The Trump and Biden campaigns are intensifying their efforts in Pennsylvania \u2014 an increasingly critical state.How long will counting take? We asked officials about their election results processes and about what share of the vote they expect to be finished by Wednesday.\xa0Americans are pushing through challenges like the pandemic and long lines to cast their ballot. The United States is on course to surpass 150 million votes for the first time.