One of the most contentious election cycles in decades is nearing its end. The votes will be tallied and either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be elected the next president of the United States. Anyone who has been watching coverage of the election so far may have noticed it is particularly heated, and the drama will likely intensify before things calm down.
If you want to keep a close eye on the election night results, you are in luck; in the age of social media, there will be no shortage of charts, maps, and fluctuating think-pieces to obsess over. Here are some of the best resources online for keeping track of the election results.
FiveThirtyEight for predictions
Since its launch in 2008, Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight has become one of the most respected sources for election coverage. The site focuses on data-driven analysis, compiling polling data from each state, and weighting those polls based on the pollster’s prior accuracy. Its coverage includes straightforward graphics breaking down both the presidential and senate races, and written analysis that delves into current events and how they are impacting the polls.
Politico has a real-time results map
Politico’s election coverage looks at every election currently happening, including the race for the presidency but also results for the senate, house, and even individual ballot measures. The site includes an interactive map that allows readers to look at each state’s results in real time. Those who want more detailed results can see results for specific counties.
Google will give results if you ask it
Google will be integrating voting results into Google searches on election day. The company plans to update the results frequently, and there will be tabs so you can switch easily between results for different races, as well as current progress in the electoral college. The search engine also provides detailed information on how to vote, so you can easily find a polling place.
YouTube for live coverage
In keeping with Google’s push for election coverage, YouTube will host coverage from various news channels. Starting 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, channels such as NBC, PBS, Bloomberg, Telemundo, and more will stream their coverage of the results, so users will have access to a diverse array of views.
The NY Times if you want to play with the electoral college
One of America’s most venerable publications offers a robust package of electoral information. The site’s forecast focuses on statistics, offering estimates for each state as well as each candidate’s paths to victory. Also of note, The New York Times has made all its content free through November 9, so readers can stay informed.
Votecastr
Most news sources prefer to wait until polls close before starting to release results, so they do not affect voting patterns by alerting voters to real-time polling results. Votecastr wants to cast aside this tradition, offering exit polling results in real time through news sources such as Vice and Slate. The company is particularly keen to show results from battleground states. Votecastr is staffed by data analysts from President Obama’s 2012 campaign, so there may be a whiff of bias in their agenda, but this still seems like an interesting experiment to follow.
Twitter & Buzzfeed
For those who enjoy the communal sharing of social media, Buzzfeed will be streaming its coverage on Twitter, starting at 6 p.m. ET. Alongside the video is a feed providing tweets from major news sources, so users will not miss any major happenings.
Aside from Buzzfeed’s stream, Twitter users can also simply check out their favorite Twitter accounts. Every major publication will likely have some form of coverage on their Twitter profiles, such as The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, Vox, The Associated Press, and more.
#Election2016 is one of the main hashtags for election news on Twitter.