Live Election Coverage On November 6

Election Day is almost here and you can count on VPR for the essential information you need on Tuesday evening, beginning at 7 p.m.

Hosted by VPR’s Jane Lindholm with Robert Siegel and Melissa Block from NPR, you’ll hear results, updates, interviews, analysis and reaction from reporters stationed around the state and country.

Bob Kinzel and John Dillon will cover Vermont’s statewide campaigns, with analysis from Ross Sneyd. Kirk Carapezza will coordinate VPR’s digital coverage. At VPR.net and on mobile platforms, you’ll find up-to-the-minute vote totals and news updates from around the state and country. Conversations will also be taking place on VPR’s Facebook page and on Twitter (@vprnet) and via the hashtag #VTPoli.

At the national level, NPR Washington Desk editor Ron Elving, political correspondent Mara Liasson and political editor Ken Rudin in Washington, D.C. will offer analysis throughout the evening. They’ll be joined by partisan analysts E.J. Dionne, Washington Post columnist and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Matt Continetti of The Washington Free Beacon.

Andrew Kohut and Michael Dimock of the Pew Research Center will provide analysis as exit polls become available. NPR correspondents, including Nina Totenberg, Julie Rovner and Pam Fessler, will report on key state races around the station.


The day after the election, listen to Morning Edition beginning at 6 a.m. for post-election news and analysis from VPR and NPR. And tune in to Vermont Edition at noon for a full election roundup.

From the primaries to the conventions and now to Election Day, thank you for making VPR your source for comprehensive election coverage.

Get Your NPR Election-Themed Buttons Today Only!

When you support Vermont Public Radio with a pledge today, we’ll thank you with a trio of these NPR election-themed buttons. Click here to make a pledge, or call us at 1-800-639-6391.

These buttons, with designs chosen by listeners, let people know you’re an informed voter because you listen to public radio. Wear them on your jacket or hat, pin them to your backpack or the bulletin board in your kitchen or office cubicle.

Don’t delay – these buttons are only available today, the first day of VPR's fall membership drive. Your one-time contribution or sustaining membership will help us pay for the news coverage you need to make important decisions this November!

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The Brock-Shumlin Debate

You’ve probably heard the on-air messages referring to VPR’s  Brock and Shumlin debate, and if you’ve been listening closely, you know there’s quite a bit going on behind the scenes.

The planning for VPR governor’s debate began many weeks ago when we set the date of September 12 for the debate. But the Progressive Party primary ended in a cliffhanger on August 28, with candidate Martha Abbott receiving one vote more (371 votes) than Annette Smith (370 write-in votes). A recount is scheduled to determine the winner. However, the results of the recount are not expected until after the VPR debate.

So we will proceed with the debate with the two candidates and get the Progressive candidate on the air soon after the results are in.

Sometimes, we receive questions about the debate process on VPR. VPR invites major party candidates to debates leading up to the General Election. Major parties are those political parties in which at least one candidate has received five percent of the vote in any statewide office in the previous General Election. We use this definition for debate participation to provide listeners an opportunity to hear a meaningful back-and-forth among the leading candidates. In this format, listeners can draw clear distinctions between the candidates and hear them challenge each others' views.

However, debates are only one part of VPR’s election coverage. There are independent and minor party candidates who may not be as well known, and VPR includes candidates who do not have major party status in news coverage through interviews or news stories in order to get their issues before the public as well.