How to Watch 2026 Midterm Election Results Online for Free
Updated 5:40 AM ET, Nov. 3, 2026: Coverage times confirmed from each network’s published schedule. We’ll update this page through the night as results come in.
Quick answer: You can watch the 2026 midterm election results for free on CBS News 24/7, NBC News NOW, PBS News, ABC News Live and C-SPAN, all through their own apps, websites or YouTube channels. Free streaming coverage starts as early as 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the big network broadcasts begin between 6 and 7 p.m. ET. You don’t need cable for any of them.
Free ways to stream election night 2026
Every major broadcast news division runs its own free streaming channel. These are the easiest options if you just want results on a phone, laptop or smart TV without signing in to anything.
| Network | Starts (ET) | Where to watch free |
|---|---|---|
| C-SPAN | 4:00 PM | c-span.org and the C-SPAN app (check c-span.org; free in past cycles) |
| CBS News 24/7 | 5:00 PM data show, 7:00 PM prime time | CBS News app, CBSNews.com, YouTube |
| NBC News NOW | 5:00 PM | NBC News NOW stream and YouTube |
| PBS News | 6:00 PM | PBS NewsHour website, YouTube, your local PBS station |
| ABC News Live | 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM | ABC News Live (also on Disney+ and Hulu for subscribers) |
CBS News
CBS News 24/7 streams all day Tuesday. Its data-focused program, “Election 2026: The Nerd Show,” starts at 5 p.m. ET, and the main “America Decides” broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET with Tony Dokoupil and Norah O’Donnell. CBS says the stream is free on the CBS News app, CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 on YouTube. Paramount+ also carries it. Source: CBS News
NBC News
NBC’s coverage starts at 5 p.m. ET and is scheduled to run until 6 a.m. Wednesday. The free option is NBC News NOW, which you can open on the NBC News website, its app or YouTube. Peacock carries parts of the coverage too, but Peacock is a paid service.
PBS News
PBS News special coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET, anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett. It plays in the video player on the PBS NewsHour website, and PBS is also on free over-the-air TV through your local station. Source: PBS News
ABC News
“ABC News Election Night: Vote 2026” runs from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET on ABC. The same coverage streams on ABC News Live, ABC’s free streaming channel, and on Disney+ and Hulu if you already subscribe.
C-SPAN
C-SPAN starts at 4 p.m. ET with commercial-free results and candidate speeches. This year it runs three streams: the main C-SPAN feed for results, plus simulcasts of two online political shows on C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3. C-SPAN has made its election night stream free without a cable login in past cycles, so check c-span.org before you rely on it.
Is Fox News election coverage free?
Not fully. Fox News coverage, “Democracy 26,” starts at 6 p.m. ET with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. Fox’s own page says a Fox One plan is required to stream the full live coverage, though it advertises a three-day free trial. If your TV provider includes Fox News, you can sign in with that account instead. Source: Fox
CNN (from 4 p.m. ET) and MS NOW (from 6 p.m. ET) also have full-night coverage. Their live TV feeds usually need a cable login or a streaming subscription.
How to watch on your device
- iPhone or Android: Install the CBS News, NBC News or PBS app from the App Store or Google Play, open it and tap the live stream. YouTube works too: search for the network name and look for the red “LIVE” label.
- Smart TV, Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV: Open the YouTube app, or install the network’s own app from your TV’s app store. CBS News, NBC News and ABC News Live all have TV apps.
- Laptop or desktop: Go straight to the network’s website. No login is needed for the free streams listed above.
- No internet at all: A basic indoor antenna picks up local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS stations for free.
When will results start coming in?
Results start after polls close, and closing times differ by state. These are the main closing times in Eastern Time, based on CBS News’ schedule:
| Polls close (ET) | States |
|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | Georgia, South Carolina |
| 7:30 PM | North Carolina, Ohio |
| 8:00 PM | Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania |
| 9:00 PM | Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Texas |
| 11:00 PM | California and several other Western states |
| Midnight | Hawaii |
| 1:00 AM | Alaska (most of the state an hour earlier) |
Close races, especially in Western states, often aren’t called until late at night or in the following days. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, and CBS reports that full results there aren’t expected until Nov. 18.
FAQ
Can I watch election results on YouTube for free?
Yes. CBS News 24/7 and NBC News NOW stream live on YouTube, and PBS News posts its coverage there too. You don’t need a YouTube Premium account.
Do I need cable to watch election night?
No. CBS, NBC, PBS and ABC all run free streams, and an antenna gets you local broadcast stations. Cable or a subscription is only needed for channels like Fox News, CNN and MS NOW.
What time does election coverage start?
C-SPAN and CNN start at 4 p.m. ET, CBS and NBC streams at 5 p.m. ET, PBS, Fox News and MS NOW at 6 p.m. ET, and ABC and the main CBS broadcast at 7 p.m. ET.
Where can I find my polling place?
If you still need to vote today, vote.gov links to your state’s official election site, where you can look up your polling place and hours.
Sources: CBS News, PBS News, Fox, TV Insider network schedule. Schedules can change; check each network’s site on the night.