In previous US elections, the winner has been known by around 2am ET, which is 7am Irish time.
It was perfect for those who hadn't stayed up all night. Alarm clocks went off, Morning Ireland came on the radio, and people learned who would be occupying the Oval Office for the next four years.
This year will be different.
First off, there will probably be a lot more people around the world 'pulling all-nighters'.
Secondly, we may not get a result on election night.
The massive increase in mail-in ballots, because of the pandemic, means some states will take days to count all the votes.
Polls will close on the evening of Tuesday, 3 November, but that may only be the start of a long and potentially dramatic journey.
Here are 9 things to look out for on election night:
1. Voting problems
There have been long lines of early voters outside polling stations across many parts of the US in recent weeks. We can expect similar queues on election day itself, and if these delays prevent people from voting before polls close, it could be very controversial.
If there are any technical glitches with voting machines, problems with electoral registers or issues with voter identification it will also generate headlines.
There are fears of unrest at polling stations, with Donald Trump encouraging his supporters to become "poll watchers" to ensure there is no fraud on election day.
All of the issues outlined above could form part of any potential legal battles, if the election result is disputed and ends up in the courts.
2. Pennsylvania
Donald Trump unexpectedly won Pennsylvania by the tiniest of margins in 2016 and it helped him secure the White House. The state could be crucial again this year. Joe Biden is ahead in the polls in Pennsylvania, but by smaller margins compared to his national lead.
The Supreme Court has upheld a decision to extend the deadline in Pennsylvania for the receipt of mail-in ballots by three days.
The counting of postal votes in the state will not begin until election day, which means we won't get an overall result from Pennsylvania on election night and it is a similar story in Michigan and Wisconsin, two of the other states that helped Donald Trump's victory by razor-thin margins in 2016.
Everyone, however, will be keeping a close eye on which candidate benefits from traditional, in-person voting in these battleground states.
3. Florida
Florida is another key swing state, but unlike Pennsylvania, it may have a clear result on election night.
The Sunshine State has already started counting early votes and mail-in ballots leading to speculation that Florida could be called shortly after the last polls close at 8pm ET on election night - that's 1am Irish time.
If Joe Biden wins Florida, then it could be all over for Donald Trump. Losing the state's 29 electoral votes narrows his path to victory and could make it impossible for the US president to retain the White House.
But a Biden victory is far from guaranteed in Florida. The two candidates are neck-and-neck according to opinion polls.
Arizona and North Carolina have also begun counting early votes which means they too may have results on election night. Again, Joe Biden victories here could pose big problems for Donald Trump.
4. Georgia
Georgia's Secretary of State says they may have results on election night and they will be closely watched.
According to a Monmouth University poll released in recent days, Joe Biden has a 5-point lead in the state.
If the Democratic candidate manages to flip Republican Georgia and turn it blue it would be a major blow for Donald Trump and could be a sign of big trouble ahead for the US president in the states that will follow on election night and in the days after.
5. Texas
Texas is expected to report the bulk of its results on election night.
It is traditionally a solidly Republican state but recent polls have shown that it could be close.
Joe Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, campaigned in Texas on Friday, a sign that Democrats think there may be a chance of claiming the 'Lone Star State'.
Changing demographics have led many analysts to predict that Texas will, one day, become a Democrat state. Will it happen in the early hours of 4 November? If it does, Donald Trump's chances of retaining the White House could be doomed.
6. Red Mirage
Republicans are expected to vote in greater numbers using traditional, in-person voting on election day. That means that on election night, it may look like Donald Trump has done well in particular states but it might not tell the whole story.
This has been dubbed the "red mirage" and it could be followed by a so-called "blue shift" in the days that follow, when millions of postal ballots are counted which may benefit Joe Biden.
7. Declarations of victory
If the scenario of the "red mirage" outlined above plays out on election night, it could lead to a premature declaration of victory.
Such monumental moments in presidential races are usually preceded by a concession phone call from the losing candidate, but that may not happen on election night amid so much uncertainty.
A declaration of victory, while dramatic, has no legal standing and just because a candidate claims to have won does not make it so.
8. Claims of fraud
Donald Trump has been claiming for months, without evidence, that the increased use of mail-in ballots will lead to widespread fraud and inaccuracies.
Expect those accusations to be ramped up on election night if things are not going his way. The US president has suggested that he may not accept the election result. Could we see a scenario where Donald Trump would actually refuse to leave the White House? This is a question I recently put to some of his supporters at a rally in North Carolina.
Kirsten Isaacs said she believes Mr Trump is exaggerating when he suggests there may not be a peaceful transfer of power.
"I don't think he'll refuse to accept the result and refuse to leave the White House but mail-in ballots could be fraudulent," she said.
Theron Suddeth said he would support Donald Trump if he refused to leave the White House and had a clear message for the US president.
"Go for it brother - take 'em down! They've been trying to take him down for the last three-and-a-half years," he said.
9. Protests & unrest
In recent days, business owners have started boarding up shops and office buildings in the centre of Washington DC in anticipation of possible protests and unrest on the streets on election night.
We haven't seen that in this city since the summer, when looting and vandalism followed some of the Black Lives Matter protests that were held outside the White House.
Gun sales have risen in recent weeks. This is not unusual in the run up to US elections and has happened in the past. Usually, it is driven by fears that a new administration will introduce tighter gun laws, but this year some are choosing to arm themselves because they are worried about conflicts arising out of a contested election result.
Walmart, one of America's biggest retailers, removed guns and ammunition from its shelves, but the company has since returned these items to the shop floor claiming that the incidents of civil unrest that had led to its original decision had been isolated.
Let's all hope that this is the case on election night and beyond.
