US election: How to watch the vote and what to look out for
Americans head to the polls today for the US presidential election 2020.
While Joe Biden is currently leading the polls against Donald Trump, it’s far from certain who will emerge victorious, with Covid-19 and the use of early and mail-in voting adding to the uncertainty.
Americans will vote today, but much of the coverage — and potentially the results — will take place in the early hours of the morning UK time on Wednesday 4 November.
So if you’re planning to pull an all-nighter to watch the drama unfold, here’s where you can watch all the action.
How do I watch the election in the UK?
If you want to watch UK coverage of the big night, here’s what’s on offer from some of the main broadcasters:
BBC
BBC One and BBC News will be airing an election night special from 11.30pm with Andrew Neil and Katty Kay.
Kay will be broadcasting from Washington, while Neil will be providing interviews and analysis from London. It’s the second time the two hosts have paired up after co-presenting the 2016 election.
The programme will run through until 9am on Wednesday morning, when the coverage will be handed over to other presenters.
ITV
ITV will also be airing an election special, called Trump vs Biden: The Results, from 11pm until 6am.
The programme will be hosted by lead presenter Tom Brady in Washington. He will be supported by Washington correspondent Robert Moore and US political analyst Dr. Keneshia Grant, while Julie Etchingham will report live from the swing state of Florida.
ITV said it will provide analysis from top political figures and commentators, including Anthony Scaramucci, Ann Coulter and Martin Luther King III.
Sky
Sky News’ special programme, dubbed America Decides, will be broadcast from Washington from 10pm into Wednesday morning.
The show will be anchored by Dermot Murnaghan, while US correspondent Cordelia Lynch, former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman and the former British Ambassador to the US Sir Kim Darroch will also feature.
Sky said its coverage will be complemented by an augmented reality setup at its London headquarters, which will allow viewers to visualise the race as votes are counted.
How do I watch US coverage in the UK?
If you’d rather watch US coverage of the election, there are some options available to viewers in the UK.
Earlier this year CNN made its channel available to stream live in the UK, meaning all Brits can follow the drama as it happens. The channel is also available to Sky and Freesat customers.
Sky and Freesat customers can also tune into CNBC, whose coverage will kick off at midnight with a special edition of The News with Shepard Smith.
When should I tune in to the election coverage?
Polls will close at different times across the US, with the last closing at 2am local time.
The high number of postal votes in this year’s election means the final results of the election may not be known until some time after voters have been to the polls.
However, all eyes will be on key swing states to give an idea of which way the vote is going, and US media will “call” a result when a majority of votes are in.
Here’s an overview of when some of the major results might come through UK time:
11.30pm: Polls close in North Carolina, with results expected immediately due to the high number of mail-in voters
12am: Initial results are expected in the key swing state of Florida
1am: Polls close in Minnesota, with initial results expected soon after
3am: Initial results expected from Arizona