Even if we didn't have constant reminders in the weeks since the results have come in, it would still be hard to forget how tumultuous the 2020 presidential election has been to live through.
Although the reality of the pandemic added its own weight of anxiety to the proceedings, fears of violence and constitutional concerns in the divisive run-up to the final votes and the counting that followed made it clear that many Americans considered this the most important election in their lifetimes.
And that urgent perception is likely the major reason why this election shattered multiple records for voter participation.