It has been a chaotic and, more often than not, extremely contentious election year. Donald Trump and Joe Biden, alongside their respective running mates, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, have spent the last few months ramping up their presidential campaigns. In that time, Americans have probably seen enough debates and town halls to last a lifetime. But finally, the election is just about here, and all the major news organizations will be covering what will likely be a very long night.
While millions of Americans have already submitted their ballots, there are still many more to be cast on Nov. 3. Because of the nature of this election, networks will begin coverage early in the day and plan to run it well into the wee hours of the morning, even later than in years past.
All major broadcast networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox, are expected to air primetime election night coverage, and cable news outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News will be covering the election around the clock beginning early on Nov. 3. Below, you’ll find the networks that have announced special election day coverage plans for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This post will be updated as more programming and streaming options are announced.
CBS News
CBS will begin its election day coverage at 7 a.m. ET on CBS This Morning. Coverage will continue throughout the day and well into the night, with Norah O’Donnell anchoring beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Gayle King, Margaret Brennan, John Dickerson, and Ed O’Keefe will provide coverage as well, while Major Garrett will offer live exit poll analysis. Maria Elena Salinas will cover voting trends, while Nancy Cordes will deliver updates on Senate and House races. Reince Priebus and Valerie Jarrett will offer analysis and insight, while David Becker will contribute legal expertise to help viewers understand potential voting issues and challenges. CBSNews.com will provide live digital coverage, including streaming and live blogs.
NBC News
NBC News will air special “Decision 2020” election coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 3 through 4 a.m. ET on Nov. 4. Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, Chuck Todd, and Andrea Mitchell will anchor coverage throughout the night, while Kate Snow will join the network’s coverage beginning at 2 a.m. ET. NBC Nightly News will feature correspondents in critical battleground states speaking to voters about their top issues. On the digital front, NBC will provide live results, live blog updates, and live streaming at both NBCNews.com and MSNBC.com, as well as on the NBC News mobile app on iOS and Android and the NBC News apps on connected TVs.
MSNBC
MSNBC will begin its special election coverage at 4 p.m. ET with Nicole Wallace anchoring, followed by coverage from Chris Hayes at 5 p.m. ET. Starting at 6 p.m. ET, Rachel Maddow, Brian Williams, Joy Reid, and Wallace will provide coverage throughout the night. Steve Kornacki will be stationed at the Big Board all night, breaking down the votes and latest state-by-state results, while Hayes, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Ari Melber will contribute to throughout the night as well. MSNBC will continue its coverage into the early hours of the morning, anchored by Katy Tur and Ayman Mohyeldin.
Showtime
Just as he did in 2016, Stephen Colbert will host a live election night special on Showtime, called Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020. Throughout the special, Colbert will speak to guests, including Charlamagne Tha God, Alex Wagner, John Heilemann, and Mark McKinnon. The one-hour special begins at 11 p.m. ET.
Comedy Central
The Daily Show host Trevor Noah will host a one-hour election night special, Votegasm 2020: What Could Go Wrong (Again), live beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Nov. 3. Noah will offer news updates and analysis on the results and will also interview guests. The special will also feature The Daily Show‘s news team, including Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, Desi Lydic, Dulcé Sloan, Jaboukie Young-White, and Roy Wood Jr., with special reporting from Jordan Klepper.
