NewsNation Aims for Election-Night Edge With Bold Use of Nontraditional Voting Data

NewsNation is hoping to make a big splash on Election Night by betting on data, not just anchors, to keep viewers tuned in.

The Nexstar-owned network, still considered the new kid on the block compared to cable giants like Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN, is once again teaming up with Decision Desk HQ, the data firm that helped it call the 2024 presidential race before any competitor. That early call earned the outlet rare bragging rights, and this year, executives are hoping lightning strikes twice.

“On Election Night, the data is more important than the anchors,” said Leland Vittert, one of NewsNation’s lead hosts for the night.

While the big networks will stick to their familiar formulas with Fox’s Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, and CNN’s streaming panel featuring Harry Enten, Charlamagne tha God, and Ben Shapiro, NewsNation is positioning itself as the analytical outsider. It’s the only major outlet that won’t rely on the Associated Press for election calls, choosing instead to trust Decision Desk HQ’s data-driven approach.

“The team at Decision Desk HQ has the hot hand when it comes to calling elections,” said Bill Sammon, NewsNation’s senior vice president of Washington, D.C. content. “They’ve called the last two presidential elections before any of our competitors.”

Unlike networks that depend heavily on traditional exit polling, Decision Desk HQ uses a mix of demographic modeling, turnout forecasts, and raw vote counts to make its calls faster and often more accurately. Sammon, who previously oversaw Fox News’ decision desk, has firsthand experience with controversial calls, including the network’s early projection of Arizona for Joe Biden in 2020.

This year’s Election Night might not have a presidential race at the top of the ticket, but it’s far from quiet. There are key contests across the country, from a potentially historic mayoral race in New York City to high-stakes governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. In California, voters will decide on Proposition 50, a measure critics say could disenfranchise Republicans by reshaping voting districts, a move some see as payback for red-state gerrymandering.

“There’s enough drama here,” Vittert said with a grin.

And NewsNation is adding a twist of its own. Correspondent Brian Entin has hit the road in a branded RV, crisscrossing states like Utah, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Ohio to talk with everyday Americans about the issues driving their votes. “You pick up on the pulse of what’s going on in a different way,” Entin said, recalling roadside conversations with long-haul truckers and farmers worried about trade and gerrymandering.

For Vittert, the goal is simple: show viewers that NewsNation can handle whatever surprises the night might bring.

“We go through every possible scenario that you hope never happens,” he said. “We’re ready for anything, even calling a race that nobody expects us to.”

As the upstart network prepares for another high-stakes night, one thing’s clear: while others rely on tradition, NewsNation is betting that data, not decades of legacy, will win the night.

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Joseph Johnson

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