Cable news won’t be the only place to follow results on November 3. Former NBC News anchor Chuck Todd and political writer Chris Cillizza will host an election night livestream called “The Projection” with Decision Desk HQ, starting at 6 p.m. ET on YouTube, X and Substack. Meanwhile, CNN is testing longer streams of its own, with correspondent Omar Jimenez live for hours each day from battleground states.
Key facts (as of October 27, 2026)
- “The Projection,” hosted by Chuck Todd and Chris Cillizza with Decision Desk HQ, streams from 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, on YouTube, X, Substack, DDHQ’s Votes portal and the Noosphere app, Axios reported.
- Decision Desk HQ analysts will make race calls during the show, and viewers see them at the same time as DDHQ’s other media partners.
- CNN’s Omar Jimenez began a daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET livestream through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan on October 26, with the first two hours on YouTube, Barrett Media reported.
What is “The Projection” election night livestream?
It’s an independent, streaming-only results show built around Decision Desk HQ’s own race calls. Axios first reported the plan on October 26, 2026.
Todd and Cillizza will host from a pub in downtown Washington, D.C., with an invitation-only crowd. The show is produced with Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), an election-results and data company, and streams on DDHQ’s social channels. Kalshi and Noosphere are the presenting sponsors.
The key selling point is the data. DDHQ analysts will call races as the votes come in, and the hosts will announce those calls on air. In other words, viewers get them at the same moment as DDHQ’s other media clients. DDHQ co-founder Scott Tranter put it bluntly, as quoted by Barrett Media: “Every other Election Night stream is reacting to someone else’s numbers.”
Who are the hosts?
Chuck Todd is the former moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press. He left NBC News and started his own media company. Chris Cillizza wrote about politics for The Washington Post and CNN, and now works as an independent journalist.
The pair have done this before on a smaller scale. For example, Todd’s YouTube channel, The Chuck ToddCast, streamed Illinois primary results with Cillizza and the DDHQ team on March 17, 2026.
Will the election night livestream continue after November 3?
Possibly in a new form. Axios reported that Todd, Cillizza, Tranter and Gia Cillizza co-founded Decision Made Productions for the midterms. They plan to turn the show into a daily program in early 2027.
CNN’s Omar Jimenez goes live for seven hours a day
CNN is trying something different in the final week. National correspondent Omar Jimenez started a road trip through battleground states on Monday, October 26.
Barrett Media reported that each day’s stream runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. CNN shows the first two hours on YouTube, and the rest continues in the CNN app. The first day’s stream, titled “Omar’s battleground road trip,” began in Philadelphia and Allentown.
In a CNN segment that day, Jimenez reported from Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District. He said the trip would head through central and western Pennsylvania, then on to Ohio and Michigan.
The format mixes politics with travel and food, and Jimenez stops to talk to voters and candidates along the way. CNN hasn’t said whether the daily stream will continue past this week. If you want CNN’s main channel instead, our CNN live stream guide covers every official option.
Why the election night livestream is growing
The big networks still carry the main race-call coverage. However, more political journalists now build their own shows online, and Axios noted that trend in its report.
There are practical reasons, too. A livestream doesn’t need a cable login, and it’s easy to watch on a phone or laptop. It can also run as long as the count does. So these streams sit alongside the traditional coverage rather than replacing it.
For the full network-by-network plan, including NBC’s 13 hours of coverage, see how to watch the midterm election results live. For DDHQ’s latest House and Senate odds, check our 2026 midterm forecast tracker.
How to watch these election livestreams
Here’s where to find each stream. Times are Eastern; the US returns to standard time on November 1, so on election night London is five hours ahead.
| Stream | When | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|
| The Projection (Todd, Cillizza, DDHQ) | Nov 3, from 6 p.m. ET (11 p.m. UK) | YouTube, X, Substack, DDHQ Votes portal, Noosphere app |
| Omar Jimenez’s battleground road trip (CNN) | Daily this week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET | First two hours on CNN’s YouTube channel, then the CNN app |
| Network election coverage | Nov 3, evening | Broadcast, cable and free network streams |
Watching from Britain or Europe? Our guide on watching the US midterms in the UK and Europe lists official options with local times. Also, our poll closing times page converts every state to GMT and CET.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We’re building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development — follow NewsLive for launch updates.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the Chuck Todd election night livestream start?
“The Projection” starts at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. That’s 11 p.m. in London and midnight in Paris or Berlin.
Is the election night livestream from DDHQ free?
It streams on open platforms, including YouTube, X and Substack, as well as DDHQ’s Votes portal and the Noosphere app. Noosphere is a subscription platform for following journalists, so the open platforms are the simplest way to tune in.
Where can I watch Omar Jimenez’s CNN livestream?
The first two hours of each day’s stream air on CNN’s YouTube channel, starting at 10 a.m. ET. The rest of the seven-hour stream continues in the CNN app.
