All Americans, Beaufort County residents included, can now take a collective sigh of relief.

The 2016 election has come to a close, and it’s time to regroup and get back to regular life. During this time, in light of the decisions made last night, there is one takeaway: respect. Respect for the voters’ decision, respect for the candidates elected and respect for the democratic process as a whole.

It’s been a long year and a half, and the 24-7 election coverage and candidate advertisements have been exhausting. However, when put into a global context, this exhaustion is a small price to pay for democracy.

It’s easy to become cynical about the elections process, especially with its “basket of deplorables” and “grabbing” comments at the national level and mudslinging, voter challenges and campaign violations at the local level. It’s a mess, no doubt about it.

But at the end of the day, the democratic process still works. American citizens still exercise their right to vote safely and raise their voices openly in support of candidates. Many countries would love to have this process in place, and their citizens are dying in the fight for freedom.

There are flaws in any system, but if one pushes through the messiness, the fundamentals of our elections process are alive and well.

Now that the results are in, let go of the mudslinging and arguments; let go of the nasty rhetoric; let go of disdain for one another.

Just as the elections process itself is purely American, so is the country’s ability to accept the results. It’s the people’s choice, and their voices are the final say.

Don’t forget to respectfully acknowledge these results — humbly embracing a candidate’s win or gracefully accepting a loss. That’s the American way.

Show respect in these days following Nov. 8, and if one disagrees with the results, there’s always the 2020 elections.