AP ELECTIONS: OVERVIEW
THE ONLY SOURCE FOR ALL
ELECTION RESULTS
– AP is the only source of
national election results
– AP provides members and
other customers with a
variety of election results
– AP delivers results to a
variety of platforms
– AP covers federal, state and
local races and issues
APAfter
ELECTIONS
the polls close…
A LONG HISTORY, WIDE SCOPE
– Reputation for speed, accuracy and thoroughness for
more than 160 years
– AP tabulates nearly 7,000 races in more than 4,600
reporting units in a national general election
– AP tabulates virtually every statewide primary and
general election as well many other elections
OUR VALUES AND PRIORITIES
– Number one priority is accuracy
– Record is rather incredible in this regard. Sometimes
accuracy means being cautious and waiting
– AP does not ‘call’ races on election night until the poll
closing time has passed for all involved counties
– Respect and appreciate the incredible work of state
and local election officials
HOW DO WE DO IT? OUR ASSETS
INCLUDE:
– Experienced staff
– Sophisticated tools
– A proven election tabulation system
– Stringers in every county
– Help from county election officials
– Professional call centers
– Other resources and safeguards
– Teamwork and communication
EXPERIENCED STAFF
– AP has bureaus in every state
– A full time election research/quality control group
– Election coordinators, stringer coordinators and
researchers. Some have more than 20 years
experience
– AP hosts a series of training sessions for race callers
A HUGE NETWORK OF LOCAL
STRINGERS
– AP hires local stringers to be our eyes and ears at
each reporting unit location
– For the presidential election will have more than
5,000 people were working on our election
operation
– AP stringers are given access and vote updates from
election officials in each reporting unit
PROFESSIONALLY RUN CALL
CENTERS
 Experienced
center
management
& supervisors
 AP’s center
staff work
every election
night
 AP conducts
rehearsals for
major
elections
VERIFICATION
We have automated vote verifications that check for:
– Vote entry before polls closed
– Positive non-absentee tally and no
precincts
– Too few votes per precinct
– Lead change
– Tie for lead greater than the change
in party preference
– Absentee method
– Large/small race with few/many
precincts
– Various vote drop sizes for
major/minor candidates
– Drops in absentee/precincts reporting
– Total absentee tally more than Maximum
absentees allowed
– Registration changed during vote entry
Candidate's percentage changed
– Non-absentee votes added but no added
precincts
– All precincts reporting in first report
Declared winner no longer leading
Precincts too low/high per candidate
– Votes too low/high per candidate
– Absentees too low/high per candidate
RACE CALLS
– AP has race callers assigned to every state
– Typically bureau chiefs or other AP managers with
years of experience
– AP hosts a series of training sessions for race callers
– Preparation is the key
– Know the state
– Know what to expect
– Know the absentee/early and provisional voting history; recent
election law changes
WHAT’S DIFFERENT IN 2012?
– Only one party held a presidential primary nominating process.
– GOP changed from a mostly winner-take-all system to
proportional allocation of delegates.
– Largest difference is how newsrooms process a dynamic data
feed like election returns.
– Old way is too cumbersome, requiring too much processing time.
– Thinner packets, APIs, AP-Google Maps
– Mobile, Mobile, Mobile
– Tablets
– HTML
MOBILE FOR SMART AND
NOT-SO SMART PHONES
May 2012
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EXAMPLES
ROAD TO 270
http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/roadto270/
CANDIDATE TRACKER
http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/cms/
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2011/campaign-finance/
AP’s NATIONAL DELEGATE TRACKER
http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/delegate-tracker/
AP’S INSTAGRAM PROJECT
http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/instagram-campaign-trail
May 2012
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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May 2012
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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