Do it with us: BREATHE! We are all watching the polls with our wine and popcorn. We understand you may be a little nervous, but keep this note in mind. The “red mirage” is a phenomenon that occurs often during presidential elections. Early voting results, particularly those counted on Election Day, show a strong lead for Republican candidates represented by the color red on election maps. This happens because Republicans are historically more likely to vote in person on Election Day, while Democrats tend to vote earlier via mail or early voting. The “mirage” part comes into play when mail-in ballots and early votes, typically counted after the in-person votes, start to be tallied. Those votes tend to lean more Democratic. The “red mirage” is a temporary, misleading appearance of a Republican lead, corrected as all votes are counted. So just breathe, stretch, pray, and let God!