Election night TV coverage goes full nerd

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Set us as preferred As voters cast their ballots in the much anticipated midterms on Tuesday, TV networks will give their viewers a closer look at how the election sausage is made.As usual, anchors and analysts will be at their network news desks when votes are counted to determine whether the Democrats can take the House and the Senate from Republicans for the final two years of President Trump’s second term, along with gubernatorial races across the country.But TV news organizations are rolling out additional tools and options for viewers who want a more granular look at how the vote is counted and winners are declared, responding to a heightened interest in national politics and a demand for greater transparency in an age of media distrust.“In the last few years, as we’ve seen incredibly close elections with higher turnout and tight political divides, people are understandably looking for more transparent ways to understand how and why elections turn out the way they do,” said Jennifer Agiesta, CNN’s vice president of election and data reporting innovation.Chuck Todd, the former NBC News political director and “Meet the Press” moderator who was among the first analysts to do deeper dives into voting data on TV, compared the increased appetite to how viewers watch sporting events.

Tighter races pull in more eyeballs, especially at a time when the electorate is deeply divided over Trump’s actions and polices.“Do people sit and watch and want more things when things are blowouts, or do people want more information when it’s decided by a nose hair?” Todd said.“You can’t discount that this is a generation of political competitiveness that feels existential.”Todd noted that in the 21st century, the House, Senate or White House has changed hands in 11 out of 13 elections, while all but one of the seve...