How NPR will announce the 2024 election results: NPR

People cast their early ballots in person for the 2024 general election at a polling place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Thursday.

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Hide caption

Toggle label

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

For more 2024 election coverage from NPR Network, visit our live updates page.

The voters have voted, the ballots are being counted and the results will be available soon. But how will the elections be held on election night? Determining a winner in any of the thousands of races across the U.S. is a tall order, from ballot measures on issues like abortion rights and voting rights to the presidential race and every congressional, state and local election in between. That's why NPR has worked with The Associated Press for many years to ensure races are called correctly.

The Associated Press has long been calling for the race. The organization's decision-making department has been calling races since 1848, and even today, more than 170 years later, it keeps these calls fairly simple. Here's how the AP explains its race-calling process:

Election calls are based on verifiable facts, primarily AP vote counts compiled by state and local election offices across the country.

As more ballots are collected starting on election night, the AP will monitor incoming votes at the county level and analyze who is in the lead and what areas the votes are coming from.

At the same time, the AP will try to determine throughout the night how many ballots from which areas were not counted.

Once AP has an idea of ​​how many ballots are outstanding and how many ballots have been counted, it can begin to determine the likelihood of a particular winner in a particular contest based on many different factors: Where are the ballots, the still outstanding? Origin, what the composition of these communities is like and even how the individual decided to vote.

As for NPR, once the AP calls a race, we will alert our broadcast and digital audiences in our special coverage and live blog, and ensure our hundreds of member stations also have access to this information. We will use AP's data to populate our election results pages so viewers can keep track in real time.

How does AP call races when not all votes have been counted?

Sometimes races are called without all — or even most — votes being counted. How is that possible? The Associated Press says it uses the same calculation of ballots, outside factors and other data to base its decisions.

In almost all cases, races can be called long before 100% of the votes are counted. The AP's team of election journalists and analysts will call a race as soon as a clear winner can be determined. This may sound obvious, but it is the guiding principle that guides the organization's campaign.

The AP's betting calls are not predictions and are not based on speculation. These are statements based on an analysis of voting results and other election data that state that a candidate has emerged victorious and that once all votes are counted, no other candidate in the race can overtake the winner.

It sounds easy, right? The AP will not call any races until “a clear winner can be determined.” However, this does not always require all the votes for every district and every race. Sometimes it comes down to math: Can this candidate even win with the outstanding votes in the places that are still being counted? And that brings up another really important point. The AP – and therefore NPR – will not project races. The organization will wait until it has certainty to announce raises, and that's why hundreds of news organizations, including NPR, rely on its calls. Because the AP waits until there is security, even if that means he has to wait a little longer Be Secure.

Ethically, NPR will not issue betting calls simply because a candidate declares victory, nor will NPR use a concession speech or statement to solely follow a betting call. This also applies to The Associated Press:

AP election calls are never based on campaign or political party lobbying, announcements from other news organizations, or candidate victory speeches. Although the winner is never determined based on a concession speech, in some cases a concession is the final piece of the puzzle that confirms there will not be a recount in a close race.

While election night is the beginning of these election calls, it likely won't be the end. Races continue to be called until a winner can be determined in the presidential election, and the races are tabulated to determine the balance of power in the Senate and House of Representatives. NPR will cover all major election calls and provide ongoing on-air and online coverage of the outcome of the 2024 election.