Brian Stelter for CNN:

“I’ve used just about every adjective for ‘close,’ and ‘even,’ but that’s the message every time,” Anthony Salvanto, the CBS News executive director of elections and surveys, told CNN.

Election-related fears and anxieties are especially high this year, but the principle of explaining all the possible outcomes applies to every campaign cycle. “My goal in any election and with every poll is to give understanding of why voters might break one way or the other,” Salvanto said. “Viewers won’t be surprised if they understand why what happens, happens.”

Salvanto played up one other word that’s going to be critical next week: patience. Even after all the polls are closed, there may still be uncertainty about the outcome since different states tabulate votes in different ways.

“It may take time to get results,” he said, “so it’s important to convey that we’re being patient in our coverage.”