KLAS-TV will be hosting the only statewide televised U.S. Senate debate between incumbent U.S. Republican Senator Dean Heller and U.S. Democratic Representative Jacky Rosen.
The one-hour debate will take place on Friday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. in Las Vegas. The debate will be watched by a focus group of undecided voters whose reactions to the candidates’ answers will be tracked in real-time.
Studio B of 8 News NOW is being transformed into a data center for the Senate debate.
Channel 8 enlisted Precision Opinion to scientifically select and vet a diverse group of 18 people, equally divided among Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters.
The focus group told 8 News NOW they are undecided going into the debate about who they will vote for in the senate race. So, they’ll be using dials to give their feedback in real-time as the debate airs.
The number 50 is in the middle, which means it’s a neutral reaction. But, the closer the dial gets to zero, the more negative the reaction. The closer to the dial gets to 100, the more positive the reaction to what’s being said.
The focus group’s reaction is tracked on the screen: Red is for Republicans — blue is for Democrats and yellow is for independents. The colors on the graph show instant feedback on how the voters in the focus group feel about what the candidates are saying.
When the debate wraps up, 8 News NOW will survey the voters about their opinions of who won the debate, and of the candidates themselves, among others factors.
8 News NOW will also stream the panel’s reactions on the www.LasVegasNOW.com website so that viewers at home can follow along.
