AP's Role in U.S. Elections: Counting Votes and Calling Winners

The Associated Press fills a crucial gap in the electoral process by independently tallying votes and declaring race outcomes.

The Associated Press has been independently counting votes in U.S. elections since 1848, providing timely updates before official results are certified.
AP's efforts help standardize and collate election data from thousands of local jurisdictions, which often lack consistent reporting methods.
The organization deploys approximately 4,000 vote count reporters across the country to gather and verify election results directly from local sources.
AP's independent vote count and race calls are crucial due to the absence of a national body responsible for providing real-time election updates.
Multiple data sources and rigorous quality control measures ensure accuracy in AP's reported election results, even correcting errors when necessary.