What's next?

Brace yourselves. This ride is about to come to a halting stop. In less than 24 hours, arguably one of the most important elections of a generation will end, and a winner will be crowned as the next ruler of the oval office. With that, we will cleanse ourselves of months of partisan bickering, withdraw from the world of primetime debates and 24 hour cable news networks and return to our blissful world of sitcoms and reality shows. In short, politics will return to the proverbial backstage where it will operate in hiding for another four years.

At least that's how it should be. Yet, few Americans actually believe that today will bring such a cathartic moment. In fact, with every major poll concluding that this election is still up in the air, reality seems to suggest that today is merely the beginning of a post-election drama that will dwarf that of the 2000 election.

And how can it not? The country is bitterly divided. In a recent "Time" poll, 70 percent of those surveyed believe that a loss by their candidate would have a major negative impact on this country. Add to that political climate stories of voter intimidation, illegal registration and bribery, and you not only have a polarized electorate but one that distrusts the credibility of our voting system. In that same poll, 10 percent of the people surveyed were very worried that their vote would not be counted accurately; 33 percent were somewhat worried that whoever takes office will not be the legitimate winner.

What all this means is that this war for the White House still has many more battles ahead. None of today's potential outcomes is pretty. If there is a declared winner at the end of today, there will be many who claim the election illegitimate and the presidency stolen. If a decision is not made today and recounts ensue, then lawsuits and courts will once again have to decide who wins the White House. If there is a tie in the electoral votes and the decision comes down to a vote in the House of Representatives, then the entire electoral process might come into question. It seems that no matter what transpires today, America will leave scarred.

Yet, there's no need to be entirely fatalistic. With good leadership and a change in attitude, America can and will heal. Whoever emerges as president must abandon partisan politics, reach across the aisle and convince the other half of America that election animosities aside, he is now their elected leader and will work to serve all Americans.

Americans, for our part, need to stop delineating ourselves by our differences and instead reconnect on our greater commonalities.

Despite our differences in ideologies and beliefs, Americans are still fundamentally bonded to each other. Our faith in democracy, desire to correct social injustices and courage in overcoming terrorism are just a few attributes that we all share. In order for America to mend this polarization and reunite as a nation, these similarities must take precedence over our differences.

A new dialogue needs to take place in this country — one that replaces today's malignant partisan attacks with exchanges that emphasize listening and understanding. Liberals and conservatives alike must be willing to leave the comforts of their ideologically homogenous worlds in order to engage and learn from those who hold other American perspectives.

Most Americans are wise enough to understand that today will bring no quick fix to America's problems. No matter who wins the presidency, there will still be soldiers dying in Iraq, rising anti-Americanism around the world and a struggling economy to revive. Rather than providing a solution, today's election could further divide America, jeopardizing the fragile solidarity of our nation and undermining our faith in our political system. What Americans need to realize is that the greatest challenge we face today is beyond that of electing a president. Rather, it is how our country mends and reconciles with itself after today. Perhaps we should all heed President Lincoln's famous reference to Biblical verse: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Kyle Meng is a civil and environmental engineering major from Chappaqua, N.Y. His column appears every other Tuesday. He can be reached at kmeng@princeton.edu.