Networks’ Plans for Election Night

Correspondents Fan Out for Coverage of Midterms

Following are news releases from ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News Channel, Tom Joyner’s Reach Media, NBC, NPR and PBS on their plans for election night coverage on Nov. 7, when control of the Congress and a number of local and state offices are at stake. Other networks will be added as they become available.

ABC

ABC News will broadcast live, one-hour specials on the November 2006 mid-term elections, TUESDAY, November 7 at 10:00 p.m., ET and 10:00 p.m., PT on the ABC Television Network. (Please note: The live 10:00 p.m. editions of “Vote 2006” will be made available to all ABC stations.) Charles Gibson will anchor the ABC News election night special “Vote 2006” from ABC News headquarters in New York. He will be joined by “This Week” anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent George Stephanopoulos.

“Vote 2006” will report election results of key House, Senate and Gubernatorial races across the country. As polls close and updated vote counts become available, ABC News will broadcast four brief live updates with the latest results at the top and bottom of the hours from 8:00 p.m., ET/PT through 10:00 p.m., ET/PT. (Please note: The live updates will be made available to all ABC stations.)

Mr. Gibson will also be joined on election night by a team of ABC News correspondents and analysts, including:

• Senior Political Correspondent Jake Tapper reporting from the key battleground state of Ohio, where there are highly watched Senate and Gubernatorial contests and pivotal House races. Tapper will also be on “ABC News Ballot Watch” monitoring any voting discrepancies and irregularities, should they occur.
• GMA Weekend Co-Anchor Kate Snow reporting on what the 2006 mid-term results mean for the many potential candidates in the 2008 Presidential race.
• Senior White House Correspondent Martha Raddatz reporting from the White House.
• ABC News Political Commentator Cokie Roberts providing analysis and historical context.
• George Will, Donna Brazile and ABC News Political Director Mark Halperin providing analysis.

On election night, Terry Moran will anchor a special edition of “Nightline” at 11:35 p.m., ET and 11:35 p.m., PT. Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos will provide extensive election coverage during those “Nightline” broadcasts.

On the Sunday before the election, “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” will originate from New York City. Charles Gibson will join Mr. Stephanopoulos on the program for a special election preview focusing on some of the most contested races and what those results will mean for control of Congress. “World News with Charles Gibson,” “Good Morning America” and “World News Now” will also provide extensive coverage of the mid-term elections.

ABC News Now will produce continuous political news programming throughout Election Day, beginning at Noon ET. ABC News Now will have live anchored primetime coverage of the races with analysis and special guests. Additionally, viewers will have the opportunity to participate in coverage through “Be Seen and Be Heard,” which will feature viewers’ comments and questions from around the country.

ABC News Now will also incorporate college and high school students’ perspectives from across the country through their video cell phone, web cam, and camcorder questions and comments sent in to ABCNEWS.com. ABC stations will provide live reports of the presidential race in their district on ABC News Now.

ABCNEWS.com will provide up to the minute results when the polls close.

ABC News Radio will provide extensive coverage of the mid-term elections. ABC News Radio correspondents will be following key races in Virginia and Ohio and from the ABC News decision desk. Analysis will be provided by ABC News Political Analyst Steve Roberts and ABC Radio Senior Analyst Fred Thompson.

NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, will be providing live reports for ABC affiliates and clients from Capitol Hill all day with ABC News correspondents Maya Kulycky and Andrea Canning.

CBS

Katie Couric will anchor CAMPAIGN 2006: ELECTION NIGHT, CBS News’ comprehensive coverage of Election Night 2006 highlighted by a one-hour live primetime special on Tuesday, Nov. 7 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), which will be updated live for the west coast. Couric will be joined by a group of some of the most experienced political reporters in broadcast journalism, as well as correspondents and reporters in key battleground states. CBS News’ Election Night ’06 coverage will include hourly updates beginning at 8 PM, ET that will continue throughout the night. Reporting live on Election Night ’06 will be Bob Schieffer, Gloria Borger, Sharyl Attkisson, Anthony Mason, Jim Axelrod, Byron Pitts, Sharyn Alfonsi, Lee Cowan, and Bill Whitaker, among others. CBS News Political Analysts Mike McCurry and Nicolle Wallace will also join Couric in New York.

CBS News’ coverage will include results and analysis of all Senate and key House of Representatives races, as well as gubernatorial election results and votes on key referenda. The coverage will also include analysis of the national and state exit poll data from the Exit Poll Desk located in the Election Night studio, using state-of-the-art technology to display vote counting and demographic data. CBS News correspondents and analysts will provide context for the data in an effort to explain how and why people voted the way they did. Projections will be made by the CBS News Decision Desk. CBS News executives will oversee the desk’s activity.

In addition, CBS News’ Campaign 2006 Website (www.cbsnews.com) will provide the fastest, most reliable, most user-friendly election results available anywhere. Live results, updated every 90 seconds, for the Congressional and gubernatorial races will be available down to the county level. CBSNews.com users will see projections as soon as they’re made by the Network’s Decision Desk. The same complete, detailed national and state exit poll data used by CBS News producers and correspondents will be available on CBSNews.com as soon as the polls are closed. Experts from the CBS News Election Unit will update stories on voter trends and behavior throughout the evening. At the end of the night, CBSNews.com will feature opinion and analysis commentary from our partners from across the entire political spectrum. Web users can view free video at CBSNews.com, which will Webcast live all of the key victory celebrations and concession speeches.

CBS Radio News will simulcast Couric’s primetime special live at 10 PM, ET/PT. In addition, CBS Radio News will provide special reports and updates four times an hour throughout the night and will have correspondents reporting live from key battleground states.

Members of CBS News’ coverage team and their “beatsâ€? for the evening are:

• Bob Schieffer, CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent and anchor of FACE THE NATION, will join Couric in New York, providing overall analysis of the campaigns, the candidates and the results. Schieffer has covered Washington for over 35 years.
• National Political Correspondent Gloria Borger, a veteran Washington reporter and columnist, will cover the Senate races.
• Capitol Hill Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, who has covered Washington since 1995, will cover the House of Representatives races.
• CBS News Correspondent Anthony Mason will provide live coverage from the Exit Poll Desk.
• Chief White House Correspondent Jim Axelrod will be live at the White House with reaction and analysis from the Bush administration.
• National Correspondent Byron Pitts and CBS News Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi will both report live from key battleground states, which will be determined closer to election night.
• CBS News Correspondent Lee Cowan will report live from Ohio and will be covering the key races in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
• CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker will report from a west coast battleground state and will provide updates on all key races for the one-hour special live from 10:00-11:00 PM, PT.

Al Ortiz is Executive Producer and Director, Special Events, CBS News. Molly Levinson is CBS News Political Director. Paul Friedman is Vice President, News Coverage, CBS News.

CNN

Combining the latest in newsgathering and news production technology with the expertise of the “Best Political Team in Television,” CNN will offer the most content-rich midterm election reports available. CNN’s unrivaled coverage culminates on Tuesday, Nov. 7, from 7 p.m. to midnight with America Votes 2006, anchored by Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs and Paula Zahn live from the network’s state-of-the-art studio in the Time Warner Center in New York.

Using the capabilities of CNN’s “News Wall,” a large video wall offering viewers multiple angles on stories through video and graphics, the network will dynamically present real-time vote information, exit polls and analysis of races across the country. CNN will be able to present viewers with at-this-moment information from more than a dozen of its correspondents covering key races around the country.

At midnight after the polls have closed on the West Coast, Larry King hosts a special two-hour edition of Larry King Live, which will include instant reaction from leading politicians and observers across America. CNN will continue offering live updates through the night, and American Morning co-anchored by Soledad O’Brien and Miles O’Brien will take air at the special time of 5 a.m. (ET) on Wednesday, Nov. 8 for complete post-game election results and analysis.

Providing reports and insight throughout the night will be senior political correspondent Candy Crowley; chief national correspondent John King; congressional correspondents Dana Bash and Andrea Koppel; White House correspondents Ed Henry, Suzanne Malveaux and Elaine Quijano; senior political analysts Jeff Greenfield and Bill Schneider; and political contributors Paul Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, James Carville and J.C. Watts. Other correspondents positioned across the country include Deborah Feyerick, Bob Franken, Jonathan Freed, Joe Johns; Chris Lawrence, Dan Lothian, Keith Oppenheim, Mary Snow, Brian Todd and John Zarrella. Also, senior national correspondent John Roberts will be reporting from Baghdad.

In addition, CNN’s Internet reporters Jacki Schechner and Abbi Tatton will host the first “CNN E-lection Nite Blog Party” at Tryst, a Washington, D.C. hotspot for young politicos. The party will gather many of the top political bloggers from across the country to blog together. Some of their analysis will appear in segments on-air and in reports online, including on CNN Pipeline, CNN.com?s premium live video news service.

Additionally, CNN.com will feature a special edition of The Situation Room blog at www.CNN.com/sitroomblog, which will feature highlights from and links to all of the blogs represented at the E-lection Nite Blog Party.

Online, CNN.com puts its users in control of their election news and information with the multi-faceted “America Votes 2006” special section. Located at www.CNN.com/elections, America Votes 2006 provides an in-depth look at the political arena, featuring on-going political information and news coverage supplemented with polls, maps, user feedback, expert analysis, quizzes, streamed video and podcasts. “America Votes 2006” culminates on Election Night, Nov. 7, with real-time results and a “Balance of Power” isplay.

CNN Pipeline will carry live reports of election results, as well as analysis from CNN correspondents. Additionally, CNN Pipeline will stream concession and victory speeches from races across the country in their entirety, as well as provide live coverage from the CNN E-lection Nite Blog Party.

On Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, CNN Radio’s Dick Uliano will be available for affiliates from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Washington, D.C., for live reports about the close races that will decide the balance of power in Congress for the next term. Lisa Goddard will take over from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. CNN Radio will provide one-minute special reports at :15, and :45 past the hours from 8:15 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 7, to 12:45 a.m.

CNN International will provide hourly updates for the election coverage until Election Night at 7 p.m., when it will simulcast the CNN/U.S. broadcast of America Votes 2006. Headline News plans to maintains its normal programming schedule but provide election updates through breaking reports and the news crawl. CNN en Español will provide live reports for its viewers with Juan Carlos Lopez in Washington, D.C.; Inés Ferré in New York, Juan Carlos Arciniegas in Los Angeles and Nathaly Salas in Miami.

Fox News Channel

Brit Hume kicks-off Fox News Channel’s (FNC) special Election Day coverage of the 2006 midterm elections on Tuesday, November 7th, beginning at 6 p.m. (ET) with Special Report and continuing throughout the evening with You Decide 2006 (7 p.m.-12 a.m. ET). Programming will include interviews with key political players and live reports from FNC’s team of seasoned political correspondents, anchors and analysts.

On election night, FNC examines the latest returns, with Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday reporting national exit polls. Overall analysis will be provided by The Beltway Boys hosts Fred Barnes and Mort Kondracke; political contributor Juan Williams; Bill Kristol, editor, The Weekly Standard and Michael Barone, columnist, U.S. World and News Report.

From Washington, D.C., Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron will provide up-to-the-minute reporting on Senate races, Major Garrett reports on House races, and Megyn Kendall will focus on the latest results of the gubernatorial races. Chief White House Correspondent Bret Baier will provide live updates from the White House.

Additional programming will include: A special You Decide 2006 as hosted by Brit Hume presented on Sunday, November 5th at 8 p.m. (ET) along with a special live edition of Hannity & Colmes at 9 p.m. Also, Fox Online with Bill Hemmer will originate from Ohio both Monday, November 6th and Tuesday, November 7th at 12 p.m. (ET) and Live Desk with Martha MacCallum on location in Scranton, PA both Monday, November 6th and Tuesday, November 7th at 1 p.m. (ET).

Expanding on the network’s multi-platform election coverage, Foxnews.com will offer exclusive analysis from RealClearPolitics, as well as a new customized Election Tracker that allows viewers to create their own page on which they can monitor the races of their choice. In addition, FOX News Radio will also provide continuous live You Decide 2006 coverage to stations across the country with FNC anchor Jon Scott, FOX News Radio’s Washington Correspondent Rich Johnson and Washington Post Columnist/FOX News contributor Jeff Birnbaum.

Tom Joyner’s Reach Media

[Added Nov. 6:] As part of his “Promote the Vote” campaign, former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) will join nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner tomorrow morning.

Special election coverage also will be available on Joyner’s website, BlackAmericaWeb.com, to monitor voter suppression issues and analyze the mid-term election results.

Scheduled guests on the Tom Joyner Morning Show (6am – 10am EST. For local listings, go to http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/tjms/listen/affiliates or listen to a live stream on BlackAmericaWeb.com) also include NAACP President & CEO Bruce Gordon, Comedian/activist Dick Gregory, Author/Commentator Tavis Smiley and Talk Show Host/Activist the Rev. Al Sharpton.

BlackAmericaWeb.com’s “Promote the Vote” section includes:

• “Ten Reasons Why You Should Vote”
• “Today’s Poll Question”: What Are the Top Issues Affecting African-Americans? Interestingly today’s unscientific poll points out that lack of health care, substandard public education, lack of jobs are the top three; War in Iraq is third from bottom.
• Featured articles on major campaign issues, get-out-the-vote efforts and who the Black candidates are
• Background information on the VideotheVote.org effort, led by Ian Inaba, who has lined up a cadre of volunteer videographers to capture voters’ experiences at their local polling places. His documentary, “American Blackout,” which is airing on TV One, chronicles minority voter disenfranchisement.
• Commentaries on hot button issues.
• Find their polling place; find out important election dates in their home state and to send a reminder to a friend to go to vote.

NBC

NBC News will cover all angles of the mid term elections using the powerful resources of NBC News, MSNBC on cable, MSNBC.com, CNBC, Telemundo, NBC Mobile and NBC News Radio on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7, 2006. NBC News will offer the best and most experienced team in television, with Brian Williams anchoring NBC News’ live “Decision 2006” coverage from the NBC News world headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Joining Williams will be “Meet the Press” moderator and senior political analyst Tim Russert, and NBC Special correspondent Tom Brokaw. “Weekend Today” co-anchors Campbell Brown will report on voter trends and Lester Holt will look ahead at the 2008 presidential race.

A veteran team of NBC News correspondents will fan out across the country and report on key Senate, House and gubernatorial races, and will include Ron Allen, Tom Costello, Lisa Daniels, Rehema Ellis, Chris Jansing, George Lewis, Ron Mott, Mark Potter, David Shuster, Don Teague, Kevin Tibbles, and Mike Viqueira. NBC News’ Chief White House correspondent David Gregory will report from the White House, and NBC’s Congressional correspondent Chip Reid will cover Capitol Hill.

In addition, a team of analysts, lead by NBC News’ Decision Desk leader Sheldon Gawiser, will analyze the statewide exit polls, election results and voter trends. It is NBC News’ policy to not project a winner in any state until all of that state’s polls are scheduled to close.

Network coverage will begin at 6:30 pm, ET, first feed on the “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.” All “Nightly News” feeds will be updated live, with election trends, analysis and results as polls close. Network coverage continues with hourly updates beginning at 8:00 pm, ET, and an hour-long “Decision 2006” special report will air from 10:00 – 11:00 pm, ET/CT, 9:00-10:00 pm, MT. West Coast viewers will get an NBC News live “Decision 2006” special report from 10:00 – 11:00 pm, PT. NBC News will also offer its affiliates time within the special report to cover local and state races.

On Election Day, “Today” will offer extensive coverage of the country’s most highly contested and watched races, with reports from Russert and Brokaw, and up-to-the minute reporting as Americans head to the polls. On Wednesday, “Today” will host a special split edition of the program with Matt Lauer in Washington, D.C. and Meredith Vieira at headquarters in Studio 1A providing expert analysis and Election Day results along with Russert and Brokaw.

Making Your Vote Count:

NBC News and MSNBC will also be tracking any potential problems that voters may have around the country through an exclusive agreement with InfoVoter Technologies, whose nationwide toll free voter alert line will allow voters to quickly report voting problems to election officials anywhere in the country. Voters across the nation will be able to call the MYVOTE1 Voter Alert Line (1-866-MYVOTE1) to report irregularities or problems at their individual polling places. The alert line will automatically patch callers to their local election offices as well as give voters an opportunity to record a brief description for NBC News/MSNBC of the problems they are facing. NBC News’ Chip Reid will report on voting irregularities and the new voting machine technologies that have recently been installed in many counties throughout the United States.

InfoVoter Technologies – a bipartisan joint venture representing VoterLink Data Systems and Chesapeake enterprises – will manage the voter contact technology along with a team of bipartisan analysts at MSNBC’s Washington D.C. headquarters.

NBC News Coverage on Cable: MSNBC

In an election that could lead to a seismic shift in political power, MSNBC is the undisputed place for politics. Beginning today, Monday, October 30 through November 7, MSNBC will be devoted to non-stop political coverage as “Decision 2006: Battleground America” coverage continues from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, ET, every day. “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, “Scarborough Country” host Joe Scarborough, “Tucker” host Tucker Carlson and “Countdown” host Keith Olbermann will anchor extended coverage throughout the week, along with Williams, Russert, Gregory and NBC News’ Chief Foreign correspondent Andrea Mitchell, to bring viewers the latest information and interviews with candidates, journalists, party officials and experts.

Leading into Election Night, MSNBC will present a special, live edition of “Hardball with Chris Matthews” Sunday, November 5 at 7:00 pm, ET, from MSNBC election headquarters. As the candidates wrap up their final weekend of campaigning, Matthews will review the latest polls and analyze up-to-the-minute information coming out of key battleground states. This special edition of “Hardball” will be carried live on several NBC affiliates around the country, as will the 7:00 pm, ET, edition of “Hardball with Chris Matthews” on Monday, November 6 including WNBC in New York and KNBC in Los Angeles. Also on Monday, November 6, leading into Election Day, MSNBC will present live late-night editions of “Hardball with Chris Matthews” from 10:00 pm. to 11:00 pm, ET, and a special hour of “Decision 2006” coverage from 11:00 pm to midnight, ET, hosted by Joe Scarborough.

On Tuesday, November 7, the network’s marathon, all-night Election Night coverage begins at 6:00 pm, ET, with Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann anchoring from MSNBC election headquarters. Matthews and Olbermann will be joined by Williams, Russert and Brokaw with additional interviews and analysis. Scarborough and Carlson will analyze the results with a panel of political reporters and experts including Mitchell, Newsweek’s Howard Fineman, Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan, The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson and CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla. MSNBC’s Election Night coverage will run all night, from 6:00 pm through 6:00 am, ET, with comprehensive coverage of election results – bringing viewers the latest developments in local races including victories, concessions or runoffs.

NBC News Coverage on the Internet: MSNBC.com

MSNBC.com will continue to dominate political coverage on the Web, and on Election Day, www.politics.msnbc.com will have comprehensive coverage, including live streaming video, real-time results, live blogging and maps. “The Democracy Dashboard,” found on the MSNBC.com cover page, delivers a full spectrum of self-refreshing results, including a map with state-by-state rollover results, and returns on Senate, House and gubernatorial races, organized down to the county level. In addition, users can find balance-of-power graphics for the House and Senate and instant-message style tips to alert them to developing stories.

A downloadable “widget” from www.politics.msnbc.com delivers updated political stories right to user’s desktops in a special “politics today” window. Message boards will enable users to share their opinions and analysis and audio slideshows featuring “voters’ voices” will keep users in touch with grassroots sentiments.

Contributors to NBC News’ political blog, First Read (www.firstread.msnbc.com), will blog live through Election Day, tracking developments and the untold stories across the nation. Politics.msnbc.com will also include extensive analysis and coverage from The National Journal, Hotline, Washington Post, Newsweek and the MSNBC.com politics team. MSNBC.com’s Tom Curry will report from a central election desk on the latest results.

Video on MSNBC.com will include a live stream of MSNBC’s coverage through the day and evening, and morning-after results and analysis. In addition, the “Hot Switch” will provide the best feeds coming in from NBC affiliates across the country.

Full archives of the highly watched “Meet the Press” Senate Debates Series from Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia are available at www.mtp.msnbc.com. Also, clips from “NBC Nightly News,” “Today,” “Hardball” and “Countdown” election coverage will be available on-demand at www.politics.msnbc.com.

NBC’s Business and Financial Network: CNBC

On Tuesday, October 31, with one week until Election Day, CNBC will focus on what’s at stake for business when voters head for polls on November 7 with a series of day-long special reports, “Decision ’06: From Wall Street to Main Street,” and scheduled guests including three possible presidential contenders: Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and Gov. Mitt Romney, (R-Mass.).

Beginning with “Squawk Box,” CNBC’s signature morning program, 6:00 -9:00 am, ET, and continuing through “On the Money” at 7:00 pm, ET, CNBC will examine key economic and financial issues that are playing a role in the way Americans will cast their votes: taxes, the deficit, Social Security, immigration, health care, the pension system, labor, minimum wage, regulating hedge funds and trade.

CNBC will have a special live edition of “Kudlow & Company” on Monday, November 6 at 8:00 pm, ET. CNBC will also have special election coverage on Election Day on “On the Money” at 7:00 pm, ET. The network will also have special reports leading up to Election Day on “Decision ’06: Your Money, Your Vote.”

NBC’s Spanish-Language Television Network: Telemundo

On Tuesday, Nov. 7, Telemundo’s veteran journalist Pedro Sevcec will host the election special “Decision 2006” at 11:35 pm, ET/PT and 10:35 pm, CT, featuring political analysts who will provide an overview of the election results from the different states and the impact they will have on the years leading to the 2008 Presidential election. The comprehensive coverage will include live reports from the nation’s capital and states with a large Hispanic population, including Los Angeles, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas. Correspondents will report on the candidates and other stories related to the United States’ Hispanic community. The Spanish-language network will begin its election coverage on “Noticiero Telemundo” (6:30 pm, ET/PT and 5:30 pm, CT) anchored by Sevcec.

NBC News on Cell Phones: NBC Mobile

To ensure that voters are kept informed while on the go, NBC Mobile will be producing original mobile content for Mobile “Decision 2006.” Complete coverage for all the midterm elections this year will be brought to Verizon, Cingular, Sprint and Amp’d Mobile customers with NBC News’ Anne Thompson anchoring coverage, and NBC News correspondents reporting across the states’ key races.

NBC News on Radio:

Thompson will also anchor NBC News’ hourly radio reports beginning at 7:00 pm, ET, through 2:00 am, ET. NBC News/MSNBC election coverage will be offered to all NBC News radio affiliates for simulcast.

Phil Alongi is the executive producer of NBC News “Decision 2006” political coverage.

National Public Radio

NPR News will offer nine consecutive hours of live on-air election coverage on Tuesday, November 7, including two anchor teams and 30 reporters around the country. This coverage represents NPR’s biggest commitment of resources to a mid-term election night and is the first since the recent completion of its multi-year news division expansion of staff, bureaus and beats.

NPR’s coverage begins at 8:00PM (ET) with All Things Considered host Robert Siegel and Senior National Correspondent Linda Wertheimer as anchors. This marks Wertheimer’s 17th consecutive assignment as election night anchor; she has held this role continuously since 1974. At 1:00AM (ET), NPR White House correspondent Don Gonyea and Capitol Hill reporter Andrea Seabrook will assume the anchor desk until the start of the first national feed of Morning Edition at 5:00AM (ET). All will anchor from NPR News headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In addition, NPR’s special election night coverage will be streamed live at www.NPR.org, along with hourly news audio updates. NPR.org will maintain a real-time road map with state-by-state results and summaries of the balance of power in Congress as assessed by NPR’s election editors. NPR.org will also give users access to the official NPR News Election Night Briefing Book, the extensive research and reference material prepared by the NPR Reference Library.

State-by-state projections and analysis will be provided throughout the night by NPR’s political experts from Washington. NPR Washington Editor Ron Elving will analyze the impact of the War in Iraq on this election cycle and Political Editor Ken Rudin will focus on the tighter congressional races and how their results will affect the overall make-up of the House. National Political Correspondent Mara Liasson will offer analysis of the Senate and its competitive races. Reporters Ari Shapiro and David Schaper will cover Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and the woman who would replace him, Democrat majority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), should the Democrats win back the House. Correspondent Pam Fessler, who broke news on voting troubles in Georgia and elsewhere in 2004, will continue her coverage of voting irregularities. Senior Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg will look at the races tarnished by scandal, including those affected by lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former Florida Congressman Mark Foley.

NPR News journalists reporting on the ground across the U.S. that evening include:

• Audie Cornish in Memphis and Scott Horsley in Chattanooga, covering the Senate race between Congressman Harold Ford (D) and Robert Corker (R)
• Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon reporting from Nashville
• Howard Berkes reporting from Madison, IN
• From Columbus, OH, Luke Burbank and Cheryl Corley reporting on the Senate race between Senator Mike DeWine (R) and Sherrod Brown (D)
• Michel Martin in Boston to cover the Massachusetts gubernatorial race
• Margot Adler in New York to cover the Senate race there between Hillary Clinton (D) and John Spencer (R)
• Frank Langfitt and Wade Goodwyn will be working from St. Louis, MO, to report on the Senate race between Jim Talent (R) and Clare McCaskill (D)
• Brian Naylor will be based in Hartford, CT, and following the race between Senator Joseph Lieberman and Democrat Ned Lamont
• Guy Raz, in East Brunswick and Nancy Solomon in Bridgewater will cover the New Jersey Senate race between incumbent Robert Menendez (D) and Thomas Kean, Jr. (R)
• Adam Hochberg will be in Richmond and Mike Pesca in Arlington to report on the Virginia Senate race between George Allen (R) and James Webb (D)

In the weeks leading up to election day, NPR News has been providing comprehensive coverage and analysis across all news programs and NPR.org of the more competitive races with “Election 2006: What Matters Most? an ongoing focus on the issues most important to American voters, including the economy, the War in Iraq, terrorism and national security, immigration, gay marriage and stem cell research.

PBS

In the run-up to the 2006 mid-term elections, PBS presents special election programming to provide viewers with in-depth information and analysis as they head to the polls in November.

ONGOING COVERAGE:

THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER

Monday-Friday, continuing series, 6:00 p.m. ET

Now celebrating its 30th year, THE NEWSHOUR continues to provide in-depth analysis of current events with a news summary, live studio interviews, discussions, and both foreign and domestic on-site reports. Carried by more than 300 PBS stations, THE NEWSHOUR is seen by approximately three million people every weeknight and remains one of the most distinguished sources of news on television.

WASHINGTON WEEK

Fridays, continuing series, 8:00-8:30 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON WEEK, PBS’ longest-running public affairs series, features Washington’s top journalists analyzing the week’s top news stories and their effect on the lives of all Americans. Gwen Ifill hosts.

SPECIALS:

NOW “Votes for Sale?”

Friday, October 20, 8:30-9:30 p.m. ET

No fund raisers, no accusations of influence, no expensive election campaigns and probably less mud. That’s the aim of the so-called Clean Elections movement: candidates running for public office receive a flat sum of money from government coffers to finance their campaigns. In turn, they agree to strictly limit the use of private funds to run their elections. The ultimate goal is to break the vicious cycle of financial backslapping that has become the backbone of American politics. Special interest groups are unlikely to be huge fans, but the movement could help make elections fairer. Supporters say it gives qualified candidates who don’t have deep pockets or special interest backers the opportunity to run and win. A number of states and municipalities throughout the U.S. have adopted some form of Clean Elections. One, Arizona, has been a model for campaign finance reform, with Senator John McCain championing the cause. Just ahead of the country’s mid-term elections, NOW turns its attention to how successful Arizona and other Clean Election sites have been in tidying up the election process. Join NOW to see if corporate lobbyists and political advertisers might have something to worry about.

BATTLE LINES 2006

Thursday, October 26, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

NEWSHOUR anchor Jim Lehrer hosts this election special that focuses on what’s driving people to the polls in 2006. How might their choices affect the balance of power in Washington and around the country? With the control of Congress in play, NEWSHOUR correspondent Gwen Ifill reports on races that turn on issues like the war in Iraq, immigration policy and economics. A roundtable discussion featuring informed citizens, pollsters and party strategists considers what’s at stake. The NEWSHOUR’s regular political analysts, Mark Shields and David Brooks, provide context.

TAVIS SMILEY

Tuesday, November 7, 11:00-11:30 p.m. ET

Tavis Smiley, the first African American to have his own signature talk show on NPR, hosts a late-night television talk show — a hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with newsmakers, politicians, celebrities and everyday people.

Smiley hosts a live program on election night.

FOR KIDS:

Kids can visit the ZOOM Web site at PBS KIDS GO! (pbskidsgo.org/zoom) to learn about the voting process and why voting matters. Kids can also learn more about the role of government in their lives as well as virtually step inside a voting booth and find out what it’s like to be President for a day through the PBS KIDS Democracy Project at pbskids.org/democracy.