Photo: Michael Greenberg/CBS News
Tuesday’s midterm elections will be the first the first to pull the attention of the nation since2020’s general election, which took place amid a global pandemic and sent America down a path of heightened polarization as the president himself began disputing the results.
This year’s elections will, among other things, determine which political party controls the House and Senate — and who shapes policies surrounding reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ expression, education and economy at the local, state and federal levels.
Needless to say, all eyes will be on the results — and on the networks and news anchors covering them.
Fox News hostMartha MacCallum, who will co-anchor the channel’s coverage this year, concurs, saying election night “is like the Super Bowl and Christmas Day for us, so while it’s a demanding time, it’s what we look forward to in the ‘off’ years.”
Here’s how the major channels, from CNN to Fox News, plan to carry Americans through Tuesday night.
Michael Greenberg/CBS News
CBS News
Mere feet from the anchor table will be the CBS News Democracy Desk, which will examine ongoing threats to American democracy and detail states' efforts to make the vote counting process more transparent — as well as acloser look at election deniersand the fallout fromthe Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
“I think that the enthusiasm and the very solemn, important challenge that we all face is just making sure that we can really make a difference,” says Mary Hager, executive producer ofFace the Nationand executive editor of CBS News' election broadcast. “With our coverage on election night, we want viewers to really feel that they’ve learned something.”
Linsey Davis.ABC/Jeff Neira
ABC News
The network will have correspondents in 13 locations around the U.S. to bring on-the-ground coverage to the news desk.
“For months, I’ve been bouncing from one battleground state to another. In the final stretch, I’ve been poring over the notes I took from out on the campaign trail,” congressional correspondent Rachel Scott tells PEOPLE. “I’ve been on a listening tour — hearing from voters all across this nation from Caliente, Nevada to Wadley, Georgia — their voices will be pivotal in one of the most consequential midterms in decades.”
Savannah Guthrie at the NBC News town hall with President Donald Trump on Thursday.Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock
NBC News
NBCUniversal News Group will deliver full special coverage and analysis of the midterm elections with Decision 2022 across NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC News NOW, Noticias Telemundo and Peacock. More than 40 correspondents have been dispatched across the U.S., in key battleground states, to contribute to the coverage.
Lester Holt,Savannah Guthrie, Chuck Todd and Andrea Mitchell will lead NBC News' primetime coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET.
CNN
Also on hand will be CNN’s chief national affairs analystKasie Hunt, who will be tracking the Senate races, and CNN anchor Boris Sanchez, who will be covering the gubernatorial races around the country. As is something of a tradition for the network, CNN anchor and chief national correspondentJohn Kingwill provide viewers with up-to-the-minute election analysis via the “CNN Magic Wall.”
As anchor Phillip explains, the network’s job on election night is to “help the country make sense of” the minutiae of the process.
“Every election is the most important facing the country, and this one is no different,” she says. “On Nov. 8, voters will decide which political philosophy will rule the day at a critical time for the U.S. economy, global peace and security and of course the future of our democracy. And with so many politicians pushing election lies at the state and national level, that will be a major storyline for us to follow as well.”
Fox News Media
FOX News Channel
This year, the network will offer a new component to its election coverage, via a live studio audience on set, which will answer questions from anchorHarris Faulknerand react as the results come in throughout the night.
For the team at FOX, the night is unlike any other, says Baier, the chief political anchor. “The hardest part is juggling the calls when they start coming at a fast rate [and] producers are in our ear with where we are headed next. It’s our Super Bowl.” It will, of course, entail “a lot of caffeine,” he adds.
“We are preparing all year for election night covering all of these races,” he says. “The last three elections we have been on set for six-plus hours. We’ll see what Tuesday brings.”
C-SPAN
Live coverage of election night results will begin at 8 p.m. ET on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Radio, C-SPAN.org and the C-SPAN Now app.
Also included in the coverage will be viewer calls taken throughout the night, in which voters will answer the question: “Who did you vote for and why?”
Kyler Alvord
source: people.com
