John King’s “Magic Wall” is getting a major election-night upgrade. When CNN’s chief national correspondent takes his place at the touchscreen during Election Night 2026, he will command a new layer of digital bells and whistles — including a floating “Key Race Leaderboard” that tracks the closest races in real time.
John King at CNN’s Magic Wall (Credits: Variety)
Magic Walls and Big Boards Take Over Election Night
King’s new setup will also let him show viewers whether the costs of gas, rent and groceries have gone up or down in every county and precinct — a direct window into whether rising living costs are shaping how voters from each party cast their ballots.
The touchscreens have become the defining visual of election-night TV. What began as a novelty is now central to how CNN, MS NOW and Fox News compete on the biggest political night of the year — every network’s data wall and “big board” is now critical to the broadcast’s success.
Screen Savers: The Tech Behind the Election-Night Arms Race
The piece traces how the giant interactive displays turned into the stars of the show. Anchors like King, Bill Hemmer and Ali Velshi have become as identified with their boards as with their reporting, and networks are racing to add sharper graphics, live data feeds and county-by-county detail to win viewers.
For election-night junkies, the message is clear: the real stars on Tuesday night won’t be at the anchor desk — they’ll be standing in front of the screens.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
