NBC News relies on two key sources of information during the general election. The National Election Pool, a consortium formed by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and the AP, provides exit polls, absentee polls, precinct votes in selected sample precincts, and models for the analysis of the election information. The Associated Press delivers statewide vote counts as well as county by county results for general elections.

NBC News election unit analysts will first examine exit polls, any absentee polls and estimates in a given race to determine if the race can be called. Analysts also examine results from selected sample precincts, county by county model results, the actual raw votes (both statewide and county by county) and additional statistical information. In order to make a call, all senior election unit analysts must agree, the NBC News director of elections must agree, and the senior news division management representative must agree. If everyone agrees, a call is made.

When all the votes have been counted, a candidate may be named the apparent winner.

NBC News will not project a winner in a state until after the last scheduled poll closing time in that state. If the race appears to be close in any given state, an abundance of caution will be used before calling a race in that state.

While you may have studied the ballot propositions through and through, and understand exactly where your candidates stand on all of the issues, knowing whether there's going to be a harpist at your polling place can be a bit of a question mark.

There was, of course, a musician playing the harp at Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard back on Election Day in 2014. And other polling places around the country have sometimes incorporated live music, of the calming, string-sweet variety, to help those in the queue maintain a contemplative, ready-to-vote state.

So what does 2016 hold in the polling place add-on realm?

The Sunset Boulevard hotel is once again the cast-your-vote location for Brentwood denizens in precincts 9001354A and 9001364A, but this time a yoga instructor shall be at the ready, the better to help voters with a few breathing exercises and simple poses.

Small bites and refreshments will be nearby, and, instead of a harp this year, listen for the lovely tones of the sitar.

Across town, and downtown, the polling place at Cornerstone Theater Company will take on a poetic mien for Election Day. The troupe is coming together with RENT Poet and the Melrose Poetry Bureau to offer "one-on-one creative writing workshops..." built "...around the theme, 'what does it mean to vote'?"

If you prefer the visual arts to express yourself, there shall be art supplies at the ready. Nearby, The Pie Hole will have gratis coffee to those rocking the all-important "I Voted" sticker, as well as pieces of pie for sale (round up on your bill and help out the Cornerstone Theater Company).

So what creative exercises or meditation-focused happenings might your assigned polling place hold on Tuesday, Nov. 8?

Perhaps it will simply and nobly hold the hallowed hum of the electorate making their choices.

And perhaps the sights you'll see there will include proud voters sticking their "I Voted" sticker on their collars as they quickly exit in order to give other people in line the chance to have their say at the ballot box.

Breathe in, breathe out. And vote.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was met with boos as he went into his midtown Manhattan polling location to cast his ballot on Tuesday.

Video from the scene shows dozens of bystanders jeering and shouting "Go home!" at the billionaire businessman, his wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka as they walked into P.S. 59 at about 11 a.m. 

Across the street, many cheered, including a group of construction workers on a job. 

Video from inside the East 56th Street school was much quieter, showing Trump talking with children and voters before filling out his ballot. He even gave one boy some cash before heading to check in with elections officials.

The scene was a far cry from Chappaqua, where Hillary and Bill Clinton voted. There, spectators crowded around and took photos as the former secretary of state and president both headed to cast their votes.

It wasn't the only notable Election Day scene at P.S. 59, either. Earlier that morning, two topless women barged into the polling room and started shouting "Out of our polls, Trump!"

Both women were later charged with electioneering.

Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the presidential election as rigged and refused to commit to conceding if he loses the race.

As Election Day begins, some are asking what would happen if Trump loses and declines to concede.

The answer is: Nothing.

There is no legal or constitutional requirement that a losing candidate publicly concede, experts told NBC News.

A refusal to concede in the face of a clear loss would certainly be unusual — and probably controversial — but it would not impact the formal results in any way.

A Westport school being used as a polling location was evacuated Tuesday morning when a fire started outside. 

Officials from the Westport Fire Department said improperly discarded smoking material started the fire outside the Greens Farms School. 

Firefighters responded to the school at 17 Morningside Drive South at 9:17 a.m. and they found fire near the natural gas service, so they called in more crews. 

The school was closed for Election Day, but polls were open and firefighters, as well as police, evacuated the building. 

The fire was contained to a plastic fence and landscaping nearby and crews allowed people back into the polling location quickly so voting could continue, according to the fire department. 

The Westport Fire Department warns that the ongoing drought has dried out the ground enough that brush and forest fires have become a concern. They are also reminding residents to completely extinguish any discarded smoking material, carefully dispose of any hot charcoal only in a metal can with a tight cover and obey the local ordinance with regards to open burning. 

Donald Trump’s campaign has filed a lawsuit in Nevada, claiming that people were improperly allowed to vote after the polls closed during early voting in the state, NBC News' Pete Williams reported.

As is the law in many states, the procedure in Nevada is that people in line after the polls close are allowed to vote.

The Trump campaign claims that others – who were not in line when the polls closed – were nonetheless allowed to vote.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Nevada state court. 

With hours left to go before the polls close in Connecticut, the Secretary of the State is reporting statewide average voter turnout at 29 percent as of midday and she expects high turnout by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. 

As of midday, 115 towns out of 169 reported turnout and some of Connecticut’s largest cities have not reported turnout figures yet. 

“Based on what we have heard from a number of towns and cities this morning, it looks like turnout may be quite high. If anyone is still waiting, get out and vote!,” Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said in a statement.

Unregistered voters can register on Election Day at specific locations in their town or city. These locations are not the same as polling locations and will be open until 8 p.m. Merrill is urging people who want to register on Tuesday to show up at their local voter registration site as early as possible, warning there might be lines.

You must be registered and in line to vote at your polling location by 8 p.m. or you will not be able to vote. To check your polling location, visit myvote.ct.gov.

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the Secretary of the State’s Voter Information Election Day hotline at 1-866-733-2463.

The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters

Ever taken a ride with a billionaire? Well, if you live anywhere near Omaha, Nebraska here's your chance.

Warren Buffett is offering rides to the voting polls via trolley to encourage those who want to vote but don't have easy access to transportation.

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Buffett, a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter, said he is offering rides to voters who need a lift via trolley in Omaha, as part of his "Drive 2 Vote" campaign. Buffett said the goal of the initiative is to have the highest percentage of turnout in any district of the country — regardless of party.

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A grassroots campaign is calling for people to #WearWhiteToVote to show support at the polls for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and those women who fought for the right to vote a century ago. 

Social media users are using the hashtag on Election Day to show solidarity for the first woman candidate of a major political party.

White has a history of symbolism with women’s suffrage and was the color of the pantsuit that Clinton wore when she accepted her nomination at the Democratic National Convention in July.

By no coincidence, white was also one of the of the official colors of the National Woman’s Party.

Self proclaimed “Centenarian for Hillary” Jerry Emmett wore white when she voted for Clinton last week in Arizona’s early voting. At age 102, she was born before the 19th Amendment was passed, which gave women the right to vote.

Another form of showing solidarity for Clinton at the polls has been women wearing her signature look: the pantsuit. Clinton supporters are participating in another grassroots campaign, #PantSuitNation, by mirroring Clinton's power outfit. 

A pedestrian was struck by a car outside a polling location in Glastonbury Tuesday morning.

Glastonbury police said the accident happened around 6:14 a.m. in the parking lot of the Nayaug School at 222 Old Maids Lane.

The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police stressed that it did not appear the pedestrian was struck intentionally.

Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to contact Glastonbury police at 860-633-8301. The accident is under investigation.

Incorrect ballots, a jammed tabulator and registration confusion caused hiccups at the polls in Hartford this morning but didn't stop voters from coming out in force.

Several people received the wrong ballot while voting at the Rawson School in Hartford Tuesday.

The moderator confirmed that about a half dozen voters received ballots for district 10. Rawson Elementary is district 7.

The issue surfaced when the tabulator would not accept the ballots. The voters were given the correct ballot and the votes then went through.

Despite minor problems, most voters at Rawson were happy to be voting in this election. Many were long-time voters, but there were some first-time voters mixed in.

First time voter Nickette Duckworth was thrilled waiting in line this morning and showed up at 5 a.m. She said being a mother to five girls is what drove her to vote.

“I have all girls and I need a future for them. So I had to come out,” she said.

Some, like Yolanda McDonald-Wesley, brought children with them so the kids could see democracy in action.

“They’ve been watching the whole presidential campaign with me so I wanted them to see it is very important and what actually happens,” she explained.

She said she and her children have been watching what she calls the “craziest and possibly worst” election season yet.

“The most up and down one I’ve ever seen and I just hope the right person gets voted into office,” she told NBC Connecticut.

There were some issues at the polls this morning. Some voters were being told they were not registered, even though they’d voted at this polling location for several years, including last year.

“It’s a vote that they’re going to lose if I don’t do something. But something is wrong where I can’t vote and I am a registered voter,” said David Hardeman.

One issue was that voters were lining up by last name when the lists went off street name. Another was that some voters not on the list had to be written in. And the tabulator jammed at one point as well.

But the moderator and staff have been working to correct those problems and make sure every vote gets counted.

State officials are expecting high voter turnout this year, so residents are encouraged to get to the polls early and expect at least a 30-minute wait.

Voters with concerns can contact the Secretary of the State's voter hotline at 1-866-733-2463. Voters can also report issues to the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters at 860-521-3030.

Video highlights from the New York Hilton, where Donald Trump was set to appear on Election Night, and the Javits Center, where Hillary Clinton's supporters watched the votes come in and ultimately sent home by campaign chair John Podesta. Also watch the gathering crowds in Times Square.

Donald Trump's supporters flooded social media with congratulatory messages as news organizations called the Republican candidate the winner about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The long, contentious presidential race came to a stunning end as pollsters had erroneously predicted Hillary Clinton would win. 

"I just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulates us, it's about us," Trump said at Trump Headquarters in New York City. His supporters cheered after hearing Clinton had conceded.

As Trump sealed the deal to become the 45th president of the United States after surpassing 270 electoral votes, the #TrumpTrain celebrated on Twitter. Supporters used #MAGA (Make America Great Again) and #DrainTheSwamp to flood social media timelines. 

On Election Day, Trump steadily dominated the candidate share of the conversation on social media, according to Facebook. In Florida, for example, Trump captured 52 percent of the conversation on Facebook, compared to Hillary Clinton's 48 percent. Clinton was not able to recover online nor at the polls.   

Read some of the Trump victory tweets here: 

NBC News’ Chuck Todd described Donald Trump’s surprise victory — which none of the polls or political experts correctly predicted — as rural America “screaming at us, saying, ‘stop overlooking us!’”

Exit polls bore this out. While Clinton hit her targets in cities, Trump outperformed Mitt Romney in rural and ex-urban districts. He won among non-college educated white voters by larger margins than Romney did in 2012; Trump was winning this group by 34% while Romney won by 26%.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who could become Trump’s attorney general, agreed, saying the vote was an expression of resentment against the “eastern arrogant establishment.”

One person was taken to the hospital after a crash on Country Club Road near Interstate 91 in Middletown.

State police said a car went off the road near the I-91 north exit 20 off ramp on Country Club Road. The ramp was closed while police investigated but has since reopened.

The driver of the car was taken to Hartford Hospital via LifeStar. Fire officials said the victim was suffering injuries to the legs, but the extent of the injuries was not immediately clear.

Check back for updates.

Hundreds of protesters poured onto Bay Area streets minutes after Donald Trump was declared the 45th president of the United States early Wednesday morning, blocking freeways, lighting fires and chanting, "Not our president" and "F--- Trump."

Protesters also burned Trump effigies, smashed windows of the Oakland Tribune newsroom, and set tires, trash and newspaper stands on fire in Oakland and Berkeley. The disturbance also forced BART officials to shut down the 12th Street Oakland City Center station.

"When our communities are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back," railed protesters, walking through streets with their arms linked. 

Police stopped protesters at Broadway and 8th Street in Oakland. "Let us through," the crowd hollered at officers, who stood their ground.

One protester held a sign which read, "Trump is a fascist pig," joining about 50 people who refused to disperse. Others, however, turned back around and headed to Berkeley. No one was arrested.

"I'm angry, it's hard to accept Trump to represent our country, it doesn't represent the best part of country," said Berkeley City College art major Devan Tevanbentuy.

During the earlier part of the protest, a woman was struck by a car on Telegraph Avenue and Highway 24, the California Highway Patrol said.

Officers Sean Wilkenfeld said the CHP was responding to reports of a protest at Interstate 880 and Broadway around 12:20 a.m., when they heard of pedestrians running into the eastbound lanes of Highway 24. A Honda Element hit a pedestrian in the No. 2 lane, near Telegraph Avenue.

Protesters surrounded the car and vandalized it. The woman, who sustained major injuries, was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The driver pulled over to the side of the road after the collision and cooperated with officers, Wilkenfeld said.

Officers said that the highway's eastbound lanes were closed as emergency responders treated the severely injured pedestrian.

University of California, Berkeley students reportedly gathered at Sproul Plaza to watch the presidential election unfold.

Malini Ramaiyer, a Daily Californian reporter, said some screamed and booed as Trump snatched up electoral votes. "We, the rational people, are a minority now," freshman Sean Betancourt told her.

The Berkeley protest swelled to over 200 people, and spilled into Oakland city limits. People chanted, "Whose streets? Our streets," Anderson Lanham, a UC Berkeley sophomore and reporter for the Daily Cal, said on Twitter.

Lanham credited Ilsa Carillo with spearheading the protest in the East Bay city. "We are students of color and we will not be marginalized, we will not be silenced," Carillo said, according to Lanham's Twitter page.

The hashtag #Berkvote was trending on Twitter with city resident Carol Coyote saying, "We need to get organized ... as a nation. We cannot have a Trump presidency. This is frightening."

Students also used the hashtags #Berkprotest and #notmypresident.

In the South Bay, a demonstration raged at San Jose State University. Pajama-clad students crowded outside dorms, with one yelling, "I'm not giving up." Noise complaints were filed as hundreds of protesters took to Tower Lawn, according to the Spartan Daily.

"The time for reform starts with us," one student said to a chorus of cheers. 

Another said she voted for Hillary Clinton, but her voice "was not heard" because many of her peers "did not do the same."

Determined to be heard, San Francisco State University students also launched their own expletive-filled rally, chanting, "The people divided will never be divided."

Students posted on Twitter that they planned to protest again at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Malcolm X Plaza on campus.

Hundreds of students protested on other California university campuses following Trump's victory. Police said at least 500 people swarmed on streets in and around UCLA early Wednesday morning. There were no immediate arrests.

Smaller protests sprung up at in Santa Cruz, Irvine and San Diego.

Elsewhere in the country, students at the University of Connecticut marched in protest on Wednesday. 

Hundreds of activists in Chicago planned an "emergency protest" later in the evening at the Trump International Hotel & Tower there. 

And in New York City evening demonstrations were expected at Union Square and Columbus Circle near where Trump lives in Manhattan.

NBC Bay Area's Jennifer Gonzalez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Donald Trump's win along with the Republican sweep of the House and Senate give the GOP singular power to undo President Barack Obama's signature accomplishments and enact the party's key policies, NBC News reported. 

Republicans did not win 60 votes in the Senate, so Democrats could use filibusters in that chamber, but congressional Republicans have already suggested they will use a budget process called reconciliation, by which bills in the Senate only require 51 votes, to either eliminate or dramatically overhaul Obamacare. 

Trump is likely to nominate a strong conservative to fill the seat on the Supreme Court that has been vacant since Antonin Scalia died earlier this year. A Trump selection would be the fifth GOP-appointed justice on the Court, ensuring a conservative majority there.

Route 25 in Monroe has reopened near the Newtown town line after a serious accident, according to Newtown police.

Monroe police said four cars were involved in a crash near Pepper Street Wednesday morning. Serious injuries have been reported, but the injuries do not appear life threatening.

More information was not immediately available. Check back for updates.