CBS introduces fourth new elections graphics package for 2026 election coverage

For its coverage of the 2026 midterm elections, CBS News unveiled an updated election graphics package — its fourth in as many election cycles. 

While CBS stuck with its “America Decides,” branding it introduced an updated election graphics package after debuting updated looks in 2020, 2022 and 2024. These designs have built on each other in at least some ways, including lending visual cues to this year’s graphics, but have also been largely unique enough to essentially stand as separate looks.

For 2026, the look was driven by a white-gray marble texture with detailed 3D carvings while continuing 2024’s use of glassy right and blue bursts of light and accents. It retains the focus on circular frames and the deconstructed eye motif. 

While Federal-style architecture and renderings of the Capitol were a common theme throughout CBS and other networks’ graphics this year, CBS also added a carved stone take on the seal of the United States of America and its prominent eagle element.

CBS’s carved stone look also included excerpts from notable historic texts, including the Declaration of Independence seen here. This is shown here framed by CBS eye-inspired elements and red and blue star and laser line accents.

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The network’s cold open also added a sequence where the carved eagle’s stone surface breaks away to reveal a real, full-color animated bird underneath, which then proceeds to fly through a virtual scene of Washington, D.C. before being shown soaring through the studio itself.

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Another prominent element that carried over from 2024’s look was the use of ribbons, which appeared prominently in the form of a star-shaped element behind anchors and wrapped around 3D renderings of the Capitol in fullscreen results graphics.

This take on the star served as both a background element during CBS News coverage and a portal to the network’s 3D environments used primarily to showcase results. The notion of ribbons is visible in the frame design.

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Fullscreen results graphics also leveraged ribbon-like elements wrapped around either house of Congress, including bold black and white ribbons as well as floating ones for candidates. Despite this virtual environment being an evening view, the lighter whites and grays in the Capitol model helped lighten up the look.

CBS also used AR and camera tracking to replace the ceiling of Studio 47’s newsroom area.

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Instead of the traditional ceiling, AR allowed the network to expand the physical space, which is already roughly two stories tall, with an even higher virtual rotunda of sorts.

This design included a take on the carved-stone look and election branding on top of the higher ceiling, while virtual screens ringed the upper levels.

The network produced its election coverage from the LED volume installed next to its New York newsroom in Studio 47 at the CBS Broadcast Center.

A wide anchor desk with red and blue accents was set up with the volume as its backdrop, along with a smaller version positioned to use the newsroom in the background that hosted the network’s in-studio panel. 

CBS also added curved header elements and freestanding columns with black surfaces that doubled as camera blinds, capturing reverse shots from the primary anchor desk to the panel area. 

Another AR element included wrapping the front of the main desk with a gray and black ribbon with candidate names appearing on the floor.

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This version of the graphic offered a different take on the colored ribbons behind candidate info, with the version appearing as a slightly angled element after a brief flat portion.