American elections are nothing if not great.
With the fate of the free world hanging on the outcome – and Australian time zones allowing for a convenient replacement for daytime television – local networks are planning special coverage when the results come in on Wednesday.
Here’s what to expect from Australian broadcasters on what will be one of the biggest days in modern political history.
This American Carnage: Crikey goes to the American elections
ABC
The ABC has continuous coverage during the day and at night. Michael Rowland will be in Washington DC, with an extended edition of ABC News Breakfast on Wednesday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. there will be special “USA Votes” programming hosted by Jeremy Fernandez, Bridget Brennan, Casey Briggs and Julia Baird. As studio guests, the network will have former BBC foreign correspondent Nick Bryant, former NBC reporter Sara James and University of Sydney political scientist Simon Jackman.
Insiders presenter David Speers will also be in Washington DC and will be joined by former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, former Ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos and former Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Emma Doyle. Global Affairs editor John Lyons will also be in the US capital.
Speers and 7:30 am host Sarah Ferguson will also host a “USA Votes” bulletin at 7 p.m., ahead of a special edition of Planet America at 8 p.m. There will be special election coverage from 9 p.m. until midnight.
SBS
SBS will hold a news special at 10.30am, hosted by Janice Petersen, with crosses and reporting from US partner network PBS.
PBS coverage will be anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett.
Network 10
Network 10 begins coverage at 10 a.m., with national affairs editor Hugh Riminton and The Project host Waleed Aly reports from Washington DC.
American correspondent Katherine Firkin will be stationed in Florida as part of the Trump campaign.
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The network will air a special election edition of The Project at 6 p.m., titled “America Decides”.
Nine
Nine’s coverage starts at 10am, with coverage led by Today host Karl Stefanovic, 60 minutes anchor Liz Hayes, senior political editor Charles Croucher, and former Clinton staffer and CNN special correspondent Laura Schwartz.
Nine will have Jonathan Kearsley, Alison Piotrowski, Lauren Tomasi and Amelia Adams in swing states, as well as CNN coverage from the Democratic and Republican headquarters.
Seven
Seven’s election coverage started early, with a special edition of Spotlight on Sunday with an interview with former Trump communications director Anthony Scaramucci. It also included interviews with Piers Morgan, former Treasurer and Ambassador to the US Joe Hockey, and former Clinton adviser Barbara Heineback.
The decision day starts with a special edition of Sunrise from 5:30 am. Continuous coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. led by Michael Usher and Angela Cox, alongside Natalie Barr in Washington DC. US bureau chief David Woiwod, together with US correspondents Tim Lester and Mylee Hogan, will be on the ground in swing states.
The network will also cover the US elections in the 4pm and 6pm news bulletins.
Sky News
Sky News’ coverage in the run-up will be led by Kieran Gilbert, while Paul Murray will broadcast from Dallas and Washington DC. Daily Telegraph national affairs editor James Morrow will co-host Outsiders from the Mexico-US border during election week.
Danica De Giorgio will begin reporting on Wednesday, while Washington correspondent Annelise Nielsen will join Murray in DC. First edition host Peter Stefanovic will report from Trump’s election night party in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Laura Jayes will be at Harris’ headquarters. Morrow will report from North Carolina.
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Guests scheduled for Sky’s coverage include Joe Hockey, former Clinton deputy press secretary Jim Kennedy, former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer and The Australian’s Greg Sheridan.
When will we know the result?
The first polls to near in the United States will take place at 9am AEDT on Wednesday, November 6, with the majority of voters in Indiana and half of Kentucky having completed voting.
By noon AEDT, battleground states Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania will have closed voting, as will most of Michigan. While polling stations in parts of Alaska will remain open until 5pm AEDT, the last polling stations in the US mainland will be at 3pm AEDT, with the last swing state to close voting being Nevada at 2pm AEDT.
Election winners in the United States are not always known on voting day. The Associated press it didn’t to declare the winner of the 2020 presidential election until four days after the first polls close. There have been a number of them changes to voting rules in several key states that could speed up the count this year, including early voting processing in states like Nevada and Michigan.
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