At long last, we're in the final stretch of the 2020 Presidential election and all we can do now is cast our votes (if not already) and watch the madness unfold on what should be an unprecedented Election Night. And while we essentially have two choices when picking who will lead the United States of America the next four years, there are plenty of options when it comes to coverage of the momentous occasion. With all three of the major 24-hour news channels — Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC — as well as broadcast networks providing coverage all day Tuesday, November 3 (and more likely than not, November 4), there's something for everyone.
But with so many options and different start times for Election Day coverage, keeping it all together is no easy task. Luckily, we've compiled a list of how each of the major television news networks plans on covering the 2020 Presidential election. There's not much time so let's get to it…
CNN
Just as in previous elections, CNN will be providing hours of coverage throughout Election Day. Here's what the Cable News Network has planned for Tuesday (fingers crossed they bring back those holograms from 2008).
CNN's Election Day 2020 Coverage
CNN's Election Night in America coverage is set to get underway at 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 3 with teams of anchors, reporters, commentators, and other experts breaking down the results in real time from various locations across the country. And since there is no telling when the final results will be ready in this election, the Cable News Network will have multiple teams bringing coverage into the early morning hours on November 4.
CNN's Election Night Anchors
CNN has announced that Dana Bash, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Abby Phillip, and Jake Tapper will kick off Election Night in America from the CNN Election Center in Washington, while Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon will be leading the late-night coverage as the results continue to come in.
The anchors won't be alone as Jim Acosta and Kaitlan Collins will be filing live reports from Trump Campaign headquarters while Arlene Saenz and Jeff Zeleny will be reporting from Biden Campaign headquarters.
CNN's chief national correspondent John King will be reporting live from the CNN Magic Wall throughout the coverage and CNN political director David Chalian will be keeping tabs on the exit polls throughout Election Day. Pamela Brown and Mark Preston will be providing reports and analysis while Gloria Borger, Van Jones, David Axelrod, Rick Santorum, Laura Coates, and Ben Ginsberg discuss the results late into the night.
Fox News
Fox News will also be providing around-the-clock coverage of the 2020 Presidential election on Tuesday, November 3. Here's what Fox viewers can expect to see as the polls start to close and results begin trickling in on Election Night.
Fox News' Election Day 2020 Coverage
According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Fox News' Election Day coverage will kick off at 6 p.m. EST on Tuesday from Studio F located inside the network's Manhattan headquarters with coverage that will go on as long as needed until the final results are in. The network is planning on bringing back its 14-foot video chandelier which will work in concert with the video floor showing updated results and other information regarding this year's election.
Fox News' Election Night Anchors
Fox News has announced that Tuesday's special, Democracy 2020: Election Coverage will be co-hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum from the New York studio. Joining the two co-hosts will be Fox News Sunday moderator Chris Wallace, senior political analyst Brit Hume, The Daily Briefing's Dana Perino, and co-host of The Five Juan Williams.
In addition to the anchors and key analysts, Fox News' coverage of the 2020 Election will include political contributors Donna Brazile, Karl Rove, and Katie Pavlich. Kristin Fisher and chief White House correspondent John Roberts will be reporting live from Trump Campaign headquarters while Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich will be live from Biden Campaign headquarters throughout the coverage.
Democracy 2020: Election Coverage co-hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are currently quarantining ahead of the special event after being in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 following the final presidential debate. Baier told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had been tested three times since the event and all the results came back negative.
MSNBC
The third 24-hour news network, MSNBC, isn't holding back in its coverage of the 2020 President election with coverage that will start early on Election Day and run until the final vote has been counted. Here's what audiences can expect.
MSNBC's Election Day 2020 Coverage
NBC Universal has announced that MSNBC will be providing its audience with all-day coverage starting with special editions of its daily morning shows, Way Too Early with Kasie Hunt and Morning Joe, starting at 5 a.m. EST. The coverage will continue throughout the day before Decision 2020 starts up at 6 p.m. EST on Tuesday. Throughout the broadcast, the NBC News Vote Watch unit will be monitoring U.S. election security and voting and will provide information to all of the channels and platforms.
MSNBC's Election Night Anchors
MSNBC's special Election Day coverage will be anchored by Rachel Maddow and Brian Williams, along with Nicolle Wallace and Joy Reid, from NBC News World Headquarters in New York City. NBC News national political correspondent Steve Kornacki will be holding things down at the Big Board throughout the broadcast where he will be breaking down the results as they come in.
Following the conclusion of the primetime coverage, Chris Hayes, Lawrence O'Donnell, and Ari Melber will be holding down the desk as the broadcast goes deep into the night. Reporters Kristen Welker, Mike Memoli, Ali Vitali, and Adam Edelman will be reporting live from Biden Campaign headquarters while Hallie Jackson, Monica Alba, and Shannon Pettypierce will be coming live from Trump Campaign headquarters.
NBC
In addition to Election coverage on MSNBC, NBC News will also be broadcasting from NBC News World Headquarters in New York City throughout the evening, and late-night hours. Here's what the network has in store.
NBC's Election Day 2020 Coverage
NBC Universal has announced that Decision 2020 coverage will begin at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday with its anchors, correspondents, and analysts reporting live until 4 a.m. EST on Wednesday. While the primetime coverage gets underway Election night, NBC will be hosting a special edition of TODAY starting at 7 a.m. EST.
NBC's Election Night Anchors
Leading the primetime coverage of Decision 2020 will be NBC Night News anchor Lester Holt, TODAY co-anchor and NBC News chief legal correspondent Savannah Guthrie, and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd, and NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell. Kat Snow will be joining in at 2 a.m. EST on Wednesday.
The various experts and correspondents providing information for the MSNBC broadcast will be doing the same for the NBC News coverage as well.
CBS
Here is what CBS viewers can expect to see on Election Day 2020 as the broadcast network's news division prepares for all-day coverage of Tuesday's results.
CBS' Election Day 2020 Coverage
ViacomCBS has announced all-day coverage at CBSnews.com with multiple streams from various locations throughout the United States. The Election Night 2020 primetime coverage will begin at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday and will be broadcast from ViacomCBS headquarters in the heart of Times Square in New York City. This new state-of-the-art facility includes dozens of visual displays showing all the latest information from polls across the country and utilizes augmented reality to make for a more immersive experience for the viewers at home.
CBS' Election Night Anchors
The CBS Election Night 2020 coverage will be anchored by CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell, CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King, Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan, 60 Minutes correspondent John Dickerson, and CBS News political correspondent Ed O'Keefe. CBS correspondents Major Garrett, Maria Elena Salinas, and Nancy Cordes will all be delivering updates on the Presidential race as well as key Congressional battles throughout the night.
ABC
ABC News will be taking advantage of its digital and streaming platforms for all-day coverage throughout Tuesday's election before the start of its special primetime coverage
ABC's Election Day 2020 Coverage
Things will kick off for ABC news at 7 a.m. on Tuesday when the network's streaming news channel starts coverage with the opening of polls across the country. The network's primetime coverage will start at 7 p.m. EST. In addition to anchors, correspondents, and pundits providing information throughout the night, ABC News will take advantage of its access to the statistics website FiveThirtyEight throughout the night and its experts will break down all of the battles, including the Presidential race.
ABC's Election Night Anchors
Walt Disney Television has announced that ABC News' 2020 Election Day coverage will be lead by chief anchor George Stephanopoulos, World News Tonight anchor David Muir, ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis, as well as the ABC News powerhouse political team.
Throughout the broadcast, analysts and commentators like Nate Silver, Matthew Dowd, Dan Abrams, Chris Christie, Yvette Simpson, and multiple others will be providing insight into the night's events.
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service and its primetime news program PBS NewsHour will be offering extensive coverage throughout election night as well. Here's what's in store for its viewers.
PBS' Election Day 2020 Coverage
PBS has announced that PBS NewsHour will be presenting live coverage starting at 6 p.m. EST on Tuesday from its studio in Arlington, Virginia, and will continue through the night. Please note that the normal broadcast of the news program will be replaced by the special coverage on Tuesday.
PBS' Election Night Anchors
Leading the charge will be PBS NewsHour managing editor Judy Woodruff, and she will be accompanied by Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins, The Cook Political Report national editor Amy Walter. White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, national correspondent John Yang, Stephanie Sy, William Brangham, and various other reporters will be filing live reports from across the country throughout the broadcast.
This is how all of the major networks will be handling the Election Day coverage on Tuesday, November 3. All we can do now is sit back and watch it all unfold.
