Explaining Election Day: If the polls just closed, how can AP already declare a winner?
From the Explaining Election Day: Understanding the processes from voting to declaring winners series
Some statewide races will be so lopsided that The Associated Press will be able to declare a winner before any of the results are released. The AP takes into account everything it knows about an election. All of the research, all of the past election results, the trends that we've seen in that state, the money being spent in the race, the reporting on what's happening in that race. And then tops it off with something called VoteCast.
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The Associated Press has created a series of videos explaining how elections work in the Uni…
Polls are useful tools, but it's important not to overstate their accuracy. After all, a polling organization can't talk to every single person in the country.
In the 2024 general election, the AP will declare winners in nearly 2,000 uncontested races, compared with about 4,500 contested races.
