Election day is finally underway, with millions of Americans heading to the polls to decide who will be the next President of the United States. For many, today means giving up your vote, turning off your phone and spending as much time as you can in blissful ignorance of the results. For others, it’s a day to stay glued to their device, eagerly checking every live update as the votes are counted.

While it’s likely to be a turbulent time, regardless of your approach, tracking the results of the 2024 US presidential election it will at least be a little easier for iPhone users. Apple News delivers real-time election updates to your home and lock screens through Live Events, allowing users to stay informed without actively campaigning news websites. Whether this is a blessing or a curse really depends on your point of view.

Apple News’ Live Events feature for the 2024 US election will prominently place a widget on your lock screen, showing the election tally in real time as it’s updated, so you can keep up with the race without even unlocking your phone. It will also provide such updates on the home screen, with Apple Insider reporting that they will be displayed on a The dynamic island. Apple Insider further reports that the Lock Screen widget will be interactive, taking you directly to the latest election coverage.

Here’s how to get Apple News’ presidential election updates on Live Activities.

what you need

• iPhone 14 Pro or later running at least iOS 16.1

• or iPad running at least iPadOS 17

Step 1: Open the Apple News app.

Credit: Kimberly Gedon / Mashable Screenshot: Apple

Step 2: You should see a prominent notification that says “Watch Elections Live”. Tap the big red “Watch Live” button at the bottom of your phone screen.

If the prompt doesn’t appear, you can also turn on Live US Elections by tapping “Follow” in the lower-right corner of the Apple News app, scrolling down to “Special Coverage,” and tapping “Election 2024.”

Credit: Kimberly Gedon / Mashable Screenshot: Apple

Step 3: You will then be directed to a page with a banner that says “Watch Election 2024 Live”. Tap it and you should be good to go.

However, you still can’t touch said banner. Apple News’ live activities won’t begin until Election Day, November 5, with Apple Insider reporting that it will begin late in the day.

This feature is also only available on devices that support Apple News live activities. Specifically, you’ll be able to get US election updates through Live Events if you have either an iPhone 14 Pro or running later. at least iOS 16.1or an iPad that has iPadOS 17 or higher. However, you’ll only be able to get Dynamic Island on your phone, as we’re still waiting for this feature to come to iPads. Finally, it’s worth noting that Apple News itself isn’t available in all regions; for a full list of availability by country or region, go Here.

Additional reporting by Kimberly Gedon.