CBS News will begin live coverage of the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. ET, with results expected to start coming in that night as polls close in waves across the country. The network said viewers will be able to follow the election across TV, streaming and digital platforms as the first returns arrive.
The rollout starts earlier, at 5 p.m. ET, with Election 2026: The Nerd Show, hosted by Anthony Salvanto with other election data experts. Prime-time coverage anchored by Tony Dokoupil and Norah O'Donnell will stream live at 7 p.m. ET, giving the network a second layer of analysis as the vote count begins to build.
That timing matters because the first batch of states closes at 7 p.m. ET, followed by more at 7:30 p.m. ET, a large block at 8 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET, and California and several other Western states at 11 p.m. ET. Hawaii closes an hour after California, while Alaska closes at 1 a.m. ET, giving the night a long tail and making the earliest results only part of the picture.
CBS News said the coverage will be available on the free CBS News app, on Paramount+, on CBSNews.com, on YouTube and on all platforms where CBS News 24/7 is available. CBS Stations will also cover the election live across 15 owned markets, while local viewers in CBS News Atlanta can watch on WUPA Channel 69 instead of a stream.
There is also a catch built into the night’s pacing: results are expected to start coming in Tuesday evening, but some races can take longer depending on margins and mail-in ballot counting rules. Alaska has a closely watched Senate race, and the slowest-counting contests may be the ones that keep viewers watching after the first winners are called.
The 2026 midterm elections will decide all 435 House seats and 35 Senate races, with governor races on the ballot in 39 states. CBS News said coverage will continue on Wednesday on CBS Mornings and throughout the day on CBS News 24/7, turning election night into a full-day news cycle rather than a single broadcast.
