Categories: Politics

For the US election, the AP performs the world’s single largest act of journalism

Since long before the advent of the internet, smartphones or social media, The Associated Press has delivered the results of elections in the United States. Our fundamental role in the American democracy – the single largest act of journalism in the world — dates back to 1848 when we called the White House for Zachary Taylor.

Today, nearly two centuries later, the AP remains the gold standard for trusted information on election night.

As a nonpartisan, independent global news organization, our job is to provide fact-based information that helps voters make decisions at the ballot box. We have no political agenda or rooting interest – we are focused solely on getting it right.

The AP stands ready once again on Nov. 5 to accurately call races up and down the ballot, from president to Congress to state and local contests in all 50 states. We will declare winners in 5,000 contested races across the country without fear or favor, just based on the facts. In 2020, the AP was correct in every race call for president, governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House – and over 99.9% accurate overall. While we strive to report the results as quickly as possible, our primary focus is to get it right — no matter how long it may take.

This important work is being done against the backdrop of an electorate that has become increasingly skeptical of election results. An AP-NORC poll from 2023 showed that just 44% of Americans say they are highly confident that votes in the 2024 presidential election will be counted accurately.

This tells us that we at the AP must do a better job of explaining and demystifying the process.

So, we are. In addition to providing factual election coverage before, on and after election night, the AP is doubling down on its efforts to explain elections. We know it’s not enough to report the results. We need to show our work – be clear about the numbers we’ve crunched, where they came from, and how we’ve ensured their integrity. You have our commitment to being as transparent as possible about our race calling process.

This is, after all, something the AP has been doing for the better part of two centuries. Since the dawn of the republic, elections in the U.S. have been administered at the state and local levels; there is no federal body that counts the vote or shares results. This is why the AP stepped in to fill that void shortly after our founding in 1846 – to independently deliver election results to the world.

We play a crucial role in the American democratic process. We’ve carried out this responsibility through world wars and pandemics, political and social unrest. No organization has been calling elections longer than the AP.

We look forward to once again delivering results you can count on. You can trust The Associated Press to get it right just as we’ve done for more than 170 years.

News Today

Recent Posts

Kareena Kapoor’s Next Untitled Film With Meghna Gulzar Gets Prithviraj Sukumaran On Board

Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…

2 weeks ago

Purdue basketball freshman Daniel Jacobsen injured vs Northern Kentucky

2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…

2 weeks ago

Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones with heartfelt tribute: ‘He was love’

2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…

2 weeks ago

Nosferatu Screening at Apollo Theatre Shows Student Interest in Experimental Cinema – The Oberlin Review

2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…

2 weeks ago

What Are Adaptogens? Find Out How These 3 Herbs May Help You Tackle Stress Head-On

Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…

2 weeks ago

The new Mac Mini takes a small step towards upgradeable storage

Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…

2 weeks ago