WASHINGTON (AP) — The pivotal question of who will lead in various elections, including New York City’s mayoral race and the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey, will soon be answered as the Associated Press (AP) meticulously tabulates the votes nationwide.
Having served this essential function for nearly 180 years, the AP’s responsibility extends far beyond merely announcing winners. Their process is outlined in detail, aimed at analyzing the available vote tallies and other relevant electoral data to determine if trailing candidates can still catch up to their opponents.
Why AP Calls Races
The landscape of U.S. elections lacks a centralized body to manage and release results, with elections typically administered at the local level according to state-specific guidelines. This often results in fragmented information that can take weeks to compile.
The AP fills this void by aggregating vote results and announcing winners, providing crucial information during the gap between Election Day and the official certification, which can take time.
Collecting the Vote
The AP’s vote counting operates by integrating data that is often delayed or scattered across numerous local jurisdictions. Hiring dedicated vote count reporters to source results directly from counties or precincts ensures timely updates. This team monitors the election results closely, ensuring as many as 21,000 updates per hour during general elections.
Analyzing the Vote
As the results pour in, the AP analyzes the data to assess outcomes. A key factor is understanding how many ballots remain uncounted and their geographical distribution. In situations where exact ballots left are unknown, the AP uses estimations based on turnout trends to gauge overall progress.
Furthermore, they also analyze the type of voting method - whether it was by mail or in-person - which has shown different voting tendencies among parties in recent elections.
Calling Races
In most scenarios, races can be declared before all votes are counted. The AP’s team, composed of skilled election journalists and analysts, will call a race as soon as a definitive winner emerges. However, if a race is exceptionally competitive or too close to call, they may delay declaring a winner until the final votes are tallied.
The AP’s race calls are based on concrete data and analysis rather than speculation, providing a trustworthy declaration of electoral outcomes.
Stay tuned as the AP begins to announce results and track electoral progress starting Tuesday night, where updates and insights will be available.
