How Races Get Called on Election Night

Networks and the Associated Press call races using precinct returns, county benchmarks, exit polls, and counts of outstanding ballots by type. A call is a statistical judgment that the trailing candidate cannot catch up, not an official result.

Delayed mail ballots and state counting rules make some states slow, and since 2020 many states count differently by party, producing red mirages or blue shifts overnight. The 2000 Florida miscalls, when networks reversed twice, tightened standards permanently.

Official results come only after certification, canvassing, audits, and sometimes recounts over days or weeks..