From Salon · Melanie McFarland · · 2m
Ali Velshi joins MS NOW Big Board
Ali Velshi becomes MS NOW’s chief data reporter for election night amid shifting media landscape.
In brief
Ali Velshi becomes MS NOW’s chief data reporter for election night amid shifting media landscape. Ali Velshi leads MS NOW’s election night data coverage as chief data reporter, emphasizing civic engagement and democratic participation ahead of 2026 midterms. Originally reported by Salon.
Ali Velshi’s return to news
Ali Velshi transitions from his weekend show to MS NOW’s Big Board as chief data reporter for election night.
“this is how it unfolds. not always with legislation, not always with imprisonment. sometimes with a rubber bullet. sometimes with a police escort. philosophy repeated until enough people believe it. . . and they believe that the next step becomes possible”
Trump’s past criticism
Trump previously mocked Velshi’s knee injury during 2020 Minneapolis protests as 'the most beautiful thing'.
“the most beautiful thing”
Velshi’s farewell message
Velshi emphasized democracy requires active participation, not partisan politics, in his final show message.
“this is how it unfolds. not always with legislation, not always with imprisonment. sometimes with a rubber bullet. sometimes with a police escort. philosophy repeated until enough people believe it. . . and they believe that the next step becomes possible”
MS NOW’s Big Board
MS NOW’s Big Board is a live election night tradition where data analysts predict outcomes.
“we are. yes. i tried to call it the magic board of wisdom, but no one took to that”
VelshiCast launch
VelshiCast, a behind-the-scenes data analysis feed, streams on MS NOW’s YouTube channel.
MS NOW’s team
MS NOW features Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Chris Hayes, Jen Psaki, Lawrence O’Donnell, Stephanie Ruhle, Michael Steele, Symone Sanders Townsend, Ari Melber, and Peter Alexander.
Steve Kornacki’s move
Steve Kornacki became NBC News’ chief data analyst after Comcast spun off MS NOW into Versant.
Media industry shifts
Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has led to buyouts and return-to-office orders at CNN and CBS.
Fox News ratings
Fox News reported 1.1 million total-day viewers in October 2026, its lowest since December 2023.
Early voting trends
Early voting increased by 20% compared to 2022 midterms, with some states up 40%.
Data analysis team
Velshi leads analysis with Kabir Khanna, Dave Wasserman, and Larry Sabato for election night data.
Democrat seat projections
Democrats likely to win between 8 and 30 House seats in the 2026 midterms.
Election night strategy
MS NOW releases exit polls at 5 p.m. ET and covers ballot measures for election night results.
Media accountability
Velshi stresses journalism’s role in bearing witness and holding power accountable.
“journalism exists for two reasons: to bear witness for those of our consumers who cannot bear witness on their own because they can’t travel to go see the scene, they can’t go to the protest and they can’t go to the press conference. we are there to bear witness, and we are there to hold power to account”
Media landscape
MS NOW is the leanest player in the news industry with stronger capabilities than a year ago.
Election night coverage
MS NOW’s live election coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The big picture
Ali Velshi leads MS NOW’s election night data coverage as chief data reporter, emphasizing civic engagement and democratic participation ahead of 2026 midterms.
