Processing a New Kind of Election Night

The surge in absentee ballots because of the coronavirus could mean the outcome of the presidential race remains undetermined for weeks after the first Tuesday in November. Recently, The New York Times published a piece about what the media may not understand about covering election night 2020.

The way election night coverage has unfolded in the past makes this new reality particularly tough to understand. But just because the exit poll data and electoral college tally that we are used to seeing populate our screens may not all be there by the time we go to bed does not mean there's something sinister going on. 

Caitlin Conant, Political Director of CBS News and Rick Klein, the Political Director of ABC News describe how they're preparing both their newsrooms and the American people for election night.  

This week, Joe Biden announced that Kamala Harris would join him on the Democratic presidential ballot as his vice president. Black women have been among the most loyal supporters of the Democratic Party, even though they're underrepresented in positions of power within the party. The Biden-Harris ticket is historic, especially as notable women in media and politics announced that they would be paying special attention to the way the media covers them. Valerie Jarrett, Former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama reacts to the news. 

On this show, we've been following how elections and campaigns have changed because of the pandemic. Among the most notable differences is the way campaigns interact with voters since large gatherings have been discouraged. Americans for Prosperity Action, a conservative organization linked to the Koch network, is knocking on doors in swing states in support of Republicans running in senate and congressional races. Tim Phillips, President of Americans for Prosperity, shares what he's learning from voters at the doors.