AP Definitive Source | 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.

A Vote Here sign is seen outside an early voting polling place at the Southeast Library, Oct. 24, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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.

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The world’s ‘single largest act of journalism’

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