The eyes of the world are on America, where a combination of pandemic, byzantine voting system, an army of lawyers and a president openly questioning the legitimacy of the poll itself is complicating life.
The real fear of violence, the talk of civil war, the dystopian predictions – none of that helps either.
This is a battle for the soul of the nation and a deeper question: is American democracy still fit for purpose?
We speak to the former Republican Arizona senator Jeff Flake and author and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.