How Do News Outlets Call an Election Race?
Reviewed:
On election night, news organizations call (or project) a winner when their analysis shows the candidate in second place can no longer catch up. The best-known caller is the Associated Press; the TV networks and Decision Desk HQ run their own decision desks.
How a call is made
Analysts compare the votes counted so far with an estimate of the votes still to be counted: where they are, what kind of ballots they are (early, mail, Election Day) and how those ballots have leaned. They also use surveys of voters and the results of past elections. A race is called only when the leader's margin is larger than anything the remaining ballots could plausibly erase.
- Lopsided races can be called as soon as polls close.
- Close races wait for more of the count, sometimes for days.
- Races near a recount margin are usually left uncalled until the count is final. See recount rules by state.
A call isn't the official result
A call is a projection. Results become official when each state certifies them, typically two to five weeks after Election Day; see the certification dates. Calls are very rarely withdrawn, but it has happened.
On Polling Desk
Our results come from civicAPI, and a race shows as called when that source declares a winner. Races still being counted are on still counting.
Sources: Associated Press, "How AP counts the vote and declares winners"; Congressional Research Service.
Questions and answers
Who calls election races?
News organizations: the Associated Press, the TV networks' decision desks and Decision Desk HQ. They project a winner when the trailing candidate can no longer catch up.
Is a race call the official result?
No. A call is a projection. Results become official when each state certifies them, typically two to five weeks after Election Day.
Why are some close races not called for days?
Because the leader's margin is smaller than the votes still to be counted, or close to a recount margin. Callers wait until the remaining ballots can't change the outcome.
More explainers
- When Will We Know Who Won the House and Senate?
- How Election Recounts Work: Thresholds, Costs and Odds
- Georgia's December 1 Runoff Explained
- What Is a Lame-Duck Session of Congress?
- When Do Newly Elected Members of Congress and Governors Take Office?
- Redistricting in 2026: Which States Redrew Their House Maps
- How Congress Picks Its Party Leaders After the 2026 Midterms
- New Member Orientation: What Happens Before the New Congress
- Why Do Some States Take Weeks to Count Votes?
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