You know the vibe. It’s 2:00 AM. You’ve had way too much coffee, and the map of Pennsylvania looks like a blurry mosaic of red and blue. Then there’s Steve. He hasn’t slept. His sleeves are rolled up, his khakis are remarkably crisp for someone who’s been standing for fifteen hours, and he’s frantically circling a tiny township in Bucks County.
The Steve Kornacki Big Board isn't just a giant TV screen. Honestly, it’s become a cultural touchstone. It’s where the "math is mathing" and where we go to find out why a specific suburb in Georgia might decide the next four years of our lives.
But have you ever wondered what’s actually happening behind that glass? It’s not just a fancy version of Google Maps. It’s a custom-built, high-octane data engine that takes a staggering amount of engineering to keep from crashing while millions of people are watching.
The Guts of the Big Board: It’s Actually a Gaming Rig
If you think the Big Board is some proprietary "TV-only" hardware, think again. Under the hood, it’s basically a beefed-up gaming computer.
Back in 2018, Kyri Sarantakos, then the CTO of NBC News Digital, let it slip that the board was running on a commodity gaming PC. We’re talking an Intel i7 Quad Core CPU and an ATI Radeon GPU. Basically, if Steve got bored during a commercial break, he could probably load up Fortnite on that thing. It runs on Windows 10 in "kiosk mode," using a Chrome browser to display a massive, interactive web app.
Wait, a web app? Yeah.
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Most of what you see on the Steve Kornacki Big Board is built using:
- HTML5 and CSS for the interface.
- JavaScript (specifically D3.js) for those smooth data visualizations and maps.
- Vue.js for the snappy animations when he zooms from the national map down to a single precinct.
- MapLibre for the geographic precision.
The system is designed to be ridiculously fast. We’re talking 100 frames per second (FPS) rendering. It has to be. If Steve touches the screen and there’s even a micro-second of lag, the illusion of his "frenetic energy" breaks. It takes about four seconds for data to travel from a county clerk’s office to the Big Board. That is wild when you think about the verification steps involved.
Why We’re Obsessed with the Math
Kornacki isn't just reading numbers. He’s telling a story. He’s explained before that his goal is to get to the "why" of the victory.
Most networks just show you the percentages. Steve shows you the "Kornacki Scorecard." This is a custom view that tracks the most critical races and allows him to run "what if" scenarios. He can group districts into "buckets"—like areas where a candidate over-performed their 2020 numbers—and show you the path to 270 in real-time.
It’s about context.
If a Democrat is up by 5% in a county that Joe Biden won by 15%, Steve knows they’re actually in trouble. He has instant access to over 10 million data points spanning 16 years of electoral history.
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The "Kornacki Khakis" and the Prep
You can't talk about the board without the man.
Kornacki’s prep is legendary. His senior producer, Adam Noboa, has described their office as a "war room" filled with paper maps and handwritten notes. Steve treats every election like he’s "cramming for an exam." He’s once said that about 99% of what he prepares never actually makes it to the air.
But he has to know that 99% so that when the 1% happens—a sudden surge in a rural Nevada county—he isn't caught off guard.
Then there’s the stamina.
- Diet Coke: The fuel.
- Nutter Butters: The snack of choice.
- Gap Khakis: The uniform.
During the 2020 election, the "Kornacki Khakis" became such a thing that Gap reported a 90% increase in sales for that specific style. He’s the only person who can make data analysis look like a high-contact sport.
What’s Changing in 2026?
As we move through 2026, the tech is getting even more granular. NBC has been upgrading the Big Board to handle more concurrent geographies—over 16,000 different areas across the U.S.
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One of the biggest challenges now is the shift in how we vote. Since 2020, the "Red Mirage" and "Blue Shift" (caused by the timing of mail-in vs. in-person ballot counting) have made the Big Board even more vital. Steve has to spend half his time explaining how the votes are being counted, not just who they are for.
He’s also moved into sports, bringing that same Big Board energy to NFL playoff scenarios and even the Kentucky Derby. It turns out, people just like watching a guy who is really, really good at his job explain a complicated map.
Actionable Insights for the Next Election Night
If you’re watching Steve Kornacki and the Big Board during the next cycle, here is how to "read" the board like a pro:
- Watch the "Remaining Vote" Estimate: The percentage of precincts reporting is often less important than the type of vote left (mail-in vs. Election Day).
- Look at the Benchmarks: Pay attention when Steve compares a current result to the "2020 map." If a candidate isn't hitting their 2020 benchmarks in their "must-win" counties, the night is going to be long.
- The "Kornacki Cam": NBC often runs a dedicated livestream of just Steve at his board. If you want the raw, unedited math without the main panel's commentary, that’s where the real insights happen.
- Ignore the Early Noise: Early returns often come from smaller, rural counties that report faster. Don't panic (or celebrate) until Steve starts circling the "big three" counties in whatever swing state is on the screen.
The Big Board has changed how we consume news. It’s moved us away from "talking heads" with opinions and toward a "show your work" style of journalism. Whether you're there for the math or just to see if he finally takes a nap, the Big Board is the most honest piece of furniture in television.