AP's Method for Declaring Election Winners Quickly
The Associated Press (AP) can declare winners in some states immediately after polls close by analyzing multiple data sources, including AP VoteCast surveys and historical voting trends. This is typically done in uncontested or noncompetitive races where one party has a strong history of winning. The AP ensures not to call competitive races prematurely and waits for sufficient vote counts to confirm outcomes. In states with multiple time zones, the AP waits until all polls have closed before declaring a winner.