EXPLAINED: How the Associated Press Calls Elections
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the 2020 U.S. general election, The Associated Press will declare winners in more than 7,000 races – starting with the White House and reaching down the ballot to every seat in every state legislature.
To do so, AP uses regional stringers who collect votes at a local level, while other AP journalists gather results from state or county websites, as well as via electronic data feeds from states.
Calling a race for one candidate or another depends on a complex formula that involves looking at the number of votes counted, historical data and a wide-ranging survey of the American electorate, among other things.
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