Watch the Republican and Democratic National Conventions on Twitch

It’s an election year, which brings with it political discussions in the news, at dinner tables, at work, at the gym, on Facebook, Reddit, TV, and on, and on.

The problem? For many of the millions of US voters who call Twitch home, Twitch is a primary source of community and entertainment. Many of you simply don’t watch TV or browse Facebook, for example. So, we’ve worked closely with the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to bring you the full coverage of both events right here on Twitch (Twitch Plays Politics?).

We see this as a public service. It’s an opportunity for you to engage in the political process, and with each other, during this election year without leaving your native habitat, using the social and communication tools you know and love.

For those who reside outside the United States, in our globalized world, the policies of United States increasingly have an effect on day-to-day life. We want to create an opportunity for you to take part in the democratic process by making your voice heard.

We are aware that this is a bit unorthodox, and that politics can be a touchy subject. The channels will be carefully moderated so as to provide a positive experience that fosters genuine discussion.

We also encourage you to create your own experience and host your own community conversations in one of two ways:

First, Host Mode is a wonderful way to gather your community around a channel’s live video. We encourage you to host the Republican National Convention (/GOPconvention) on your channel so you can have a more productive and valuable political discussion with your community.

Second, the Democratic National Convention has offered Twitch broadcasters the rights to co-stream the event. Set your broadcast game to “DNC 2016” and provide your own commentary throughout the event. Both Twitch and the RNC made extensive efforts to bring co-streaming to the Republican National Convention as well, but ultimately we were bested by redtape.

One last thing, we’ve created special global emotes for you to use during both conventions! Introducing RNCelephant, DNCbell, KappaVotes, VoteNay, and VoteYea.

The Details:

Republican National Convention

When: 7/18–7/21

Where: twitch.tv/GOPconvention

Schedule:

7/18 1PM to 5PM & 7PM to 11PM (EDT)

7/19–21 5PM to 11PM EDT

Democratic National Convention

When: 7/25–7/28

Where: twitch.tv/DNC2016

Schedule: 5PM EDT to 11PM EDT each day