# Where to follow election night on-line

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [October 30, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452 "2024-10-30T17:33:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/21 "2024-10-30T21:42:37Z")

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> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> My guess is that the CNN homepage will still be available even without a subscription

That was never an issue. Of course it will. What CNN has done is restrict streaming access to their normal broadcast to those who have cable subscriptions, who have to log in through the cable company account to get access to the stream through their computer. However, as I keep saying, CNN has typically suspended that requirement for important events like the recent presidential and VP debates, and I’m fairly sure that they’ll do it again for election night.

Although results may not be known on election night, which would be a whole other disaster. If that’s the case I would expect major drama as it might drag on for many days, with Trump using it as an excuse to claim election fraud and pull every stop to swing the vote count his way. It would be a horror show into which the Supreme Court might once again insinuate itself to ensure the “correct” outcome.

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**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/22 "2024-10-30T21:56:44Z")

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Same for MSNBC.

And if any dare, Fox News.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/23 "2024-10-30T21:59:38Z")

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As I remember, four years ago, someone in the Fox News politics team called Arizona for Biden. That really pissed off Trump and Rupert Murdoch but it was correct.

Of course that guy got fired soon thereafter.

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**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/24 "2024-10-30T22:05:38Z")

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Yep, I remember it too. Pretty sure they won’t be doing anything so reckless this time around.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/25 "2024-10-30T23:22:59Z")

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C-SPAN also does commentary-free (except when warranted) coverage. They have even carried the feed from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in the past, and in 2008, the CBC scooped CNN by about 5 seconds.

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**Author:** ![HEMAblerd313](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@HEMAblerd313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HEMAblerd313)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/26 "2024-11-03T06:23:36Z")

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I have been debating on what to do…part of me just want to go to my three jobs, go to HEMA pratitice, drive home, take a edibile chased with rum and sleep until the next day to view the projections. The other part of me wants to do the same except stay awake and see the results in real time. One thing thats a gaurentee, I will be refreshing the SDMB every 5 minutes that day…

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**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/27 "2024-11-03T13:47:30Z")

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> [@pjd](#):
>
> I’ll be following on the SDMB !

This.

(Plus the occasional map-geekery from Steve Kornacki on MSNBC and John King on CNN).

I’ll first get to check in around 10:30 PM central (I’m an elections worker, and that’s about when we’re likely to wrap things up — polls close at 8 PM. We have a great team, and we are very methodical and careful.)

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**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/28 "2024-11-03T13:50:49Z")

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Can I watch MSNBC on my phone?  
I haz no cable or tv.  
I do not want to miss Steve.

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/29 "2024-11-03T14:19:08Z")

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I’m not a fan of the NYT’s breaking news coverage in general, but i think their election dial (projections) are pretty good.

But I’m not looking for a show to watch, I’m looking for a site to peek at every half hour while I do other stuff. Honestly, if i wanted to spend the night watching (or didn’t have other stuff lined up, and expected i couldn’t stay away from watching all night) i would try to join or organize a zoom watch party with friends. Listen to my friends taking heads, rather than newscaster talking heads.

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**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/30 "2024-11-03T14:28:01Z")

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> [@HEMAblerd313](#):
>
> I will be refreshing the SDMB every 5 minutes that day…

Yeah, me too, 'cause I’ll be looking for profound observations and intelligent punditry. Where else can you find that? 🙂

But it’s really not gonna be that important…I dont expect to hear anything on Tuesday night except that the swing states are still swinging.

And even through most of Wednesday, we"ll still be hearing just hints and guesses. (“Higher turnout in county A might imply more dem votes, but county B with 85% counted so far implies the opposite”…etc. etc.)

I dont have patience to sit through hours of video, with panels of talking head “experts” who can’t tell me anything I don’t already know.

But, every once in a while I’ll wanna get some refreshing entertainent , by spending 3 minutes on msnbc. Just to see that Kornacki guy jump around excitedly and show off that he knows by heart the names and demographics of every county in America.

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**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/31 "2024-11-03T22:06:37Z")

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[electoral-vote.com](http://electoral-vote.com) is planning to show a real-time map showing the current state of the vote in each state. I am planning to at least look at them to see it at work. I also like the NYT speedometer.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/32 "2024-11-04T01:44:16Z")

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I’m sure the news will reach you before you seek it out. What state are you in?

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**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/33 "2024-11-04T11:19:23Z")

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Wisconsin.  
Maybe so, but my team and I will be super busy and focused that evening. Georgia polls close at 6 PM CT; North Carolina at 6:30; and Pennsylvania, and most of Michigan, at 7:00. Then comes us at 8:00, followed by Arizona at 10:00 and Nevada at 11:00. We’ll be sharing a pizza from around 8:15 to 8:30, then jumping back into critical tasks for at least an hour, possibly as long as two hours.

So, if GA, NC, PA, or WI is lopsided enough that exit polls indicate a clear winner, we’ll learn this as we sneak a peek at our phones while scarfing down some 'za.

This is unlikely, I think. But one or more of those _is_ lopsided enough that early actual returns suggest a clear winner (e.g., within 1 hour of their polls closing), we might get to hear about that. We’ll be enjoying that pizza break about an hour after NC and PA polls close – and I’m thinking these (plus possibly Nevada) could decide the race. But I’d be surprised if NC or PA’s actual returns are revealing enough for networks to “call” a winner so early in the night. More likely sometime on Wednesday!

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**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/34 "2024-11-04T11:54:23Z")

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What I’m looking for is a site that will show the 2020 map along with the current one, to compare the two. Preferably with a county level granularity. Any recommendations for that?

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/35 "2024-11-04T12:19:03Z")

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> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> So, if GA, NC, PA, or WI is lopsided enough that exit polls indicate a clear winner

There are a LOT of people who voted early this year, both Democrats and Republicans. So i wouldn’t trust an exit poll of the biased sample of “those who showed up on election Day”.

But maybe they are doing exit polls differently now, too.

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**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/36 "2024-11-04T12:22:38Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> There are a LOT of people who voted early this year, both Democrats and Republicans. So i wouldn’t trust an exit poll of the biased sample of “those who showed up on election Day”

Good point — thanks!

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**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/37 "2024-11-04T14:59:27Z")

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For my money, Talking Points Memo is the place to go - no video but regular updates and excellent insight / analysis. I don’t think any other site covers politics as well as they do. Josh Marshall started the site back in 2000 to cover that election fiasco and I’ve been following it ever since. I got turned on to it by the SDMBs very own Illucidator.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/38 "2024-11-04T19:56:53Z")

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I know that exit polls are generally quite accurate, but FWIW, my brother was exit-polled and gave all wrong answers on purpose.

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/39 "2024-11-04T20:27:28Z")

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If N Trump voters give intentionally wrong answers to exit pollsters and N Harris voters do the same, the results will be accurate anyway.

Way back in 2000 when Oregon first went to all-mail voting, I wondered how they were going to do exit polling. I even started a thread here asking, but no one had an answer. It turns out they didn’t do any equivalent to exit polling in Oregon that year or in any subsequent year, as far as I know.

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**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2024, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-follow-election-night-on-line/1009452/40 "2024-11-05T11:33:21Z")

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The Guardian will be running live updates:

> **[US election 2024 live updates: Harris and Trump close campaigns with...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/nov/05/us-election-2024-live-updates-donald-trump-vs-kamala-harris-results-presidential-elections-day-latest-news-polls-update?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other)**
>
> Both candidates end with rallies in Pennsylvania as Democrat’s message of optimism contrasts with Republican’s darker tone

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