AUSTIN, Texas--The governor of Texas will await the network projections today--the final word--sequestered in a room at the Four Seasons Hotel here with top aides and family.

At some point very late tonight or even early Wednesday, George W. Bush will walk to the steps of state capitol building.

There, he will either give an acceptance speech or concede the election to Vice President Al Gore '69.

Workers spent yesterday building a stage, carpeting the floor in bright red, testing the lights and microphones and the equipment for music performers.

The city was congested with members of the media yesterday. Satellite trucks lined the streets in front of the capitol and governor's mansion, blocking off streets to traffic.

Because Bush has held a sizable lead in his home state throughout the campaign, the scene in Texas had been mostly quiet until yesterday's final preparations. Many voters have already made up their minds, with record 135,000 filing early ballots in Austin last week.

But preference doesn't always translate into confidence.

"I think it's still very uncertain," said Rachel Penticuff, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), who declined to say for whom she would vote. "People are talking about all the different scenarios that could happen."