Election results are important to voters, but it takes time for officials to process and count ballots. During this wait, gaps in public information can be filled with speculation and rumors that may mislead or confuse the public. Those gaps are also opportunities for news outlets to “call” races, which is when they identify who they believe will win a race and publish those results. However, the path to official results is complex and varies by jurisdiction. This explainer breaks down how media and election officials work together to call elections and highlights some practices that could improve the way they collaborate.
The chart below outlines the typical steps that election officials complete before they certify final results. While the exact procedure varies by jurisdiction, most of these steps occur at both the local and state level. The process for certifying results is more complicated in presidential elections, as the winner must be selected by the Electoral College. At the state level, this involves additional steps and deadlines for selecting a slate of electors to send to Washington. These procedures are all in place to ensure that every vote is counted, and that a legitimate winner is declared.
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