NEW YORK — Next week, a significant operation will unfold as a vast array of professionals gathers to oversee the counting of votes and determine the outcomes in the U.S. elections, a tradition that has been in place since 1848.
This year, there is an increased focus on making the voting process transparent to the public.
To this end, the organization has already published several articles detailing how the election process functions and will have a dedicated team of reporters on election night to explain in straightforward terms the rationale behind calling states for presidential candidates Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
Other media outlets are adopting similar strategies to enhance voter understanding. Editors at this organization are particularly aware of the rise in political misinformation and the results of opinion polls, which indicate a growing skepticism toward the media, according to Julie Pace, the senior vice president and executive editor.
“I can’t make people trust us,” she stated, “but we are dedicating substantial time, effort, and resources to address this challenge seriously.”
Many news organizations like NBC News have also taken steps to clarify the election process. They have published articles explaining concepts such as exit polls and how this data will be utilized. The New York Times plans to provide additional insights alongside its popular online election feature, “The Needle,” which fluctuates as it assesses the likelihood of a candidate’s victory.
In its programming, ABC News has launched a series titled “Protecting Your Vote,” which delves into the roles of election workers, the reduction of polling stations, and the stories of individuals involved in election-related lawsuits.
CNN, too, is publishing explanatory articles regarding the voting projection process and exit polls while offering guidance on navigating election night coverage. Additionally, a version of its “Magic Wall” will be accessible online, granting viewers the same statistical insights and historical context that correspondent John King features on-screen.
The role of this organization in vote counting is distinctive, operating under the principle that individual jurisdictions report their own results without a federal entity to compile them.
This intricate operation involves nearly 5,000 personnel, with the collected data being extensively utilized throughout the news sector. Reporters, referred to as stringers, gather results from local election officials across the country and send them to a central data entry location, where the information is aggregated and cross-verified with online resources. Concurrently, the organization, similar to major television networks, declares individual races by employing a combination of actual results, exit poll data, and historical insights.
The guidelines for announcing a winner are straightforward: “We declare the race once it is impossible for the trailing candidate to catch up,” Pace explained. In the 2020 elections, news outlets proclaimed Joe Biden the victor against Donald Trump shortly after Election Day.
The organization anticipates making calls for 6,832 races this year, spanning from the presidential election to local contests and ballot initiatives.
A dozen journalists have been tasked with writing stories and providing live updates that clarify the specific reasoning behind calls in pivotal swing states and other closely contested elections. This endeavor poses a challenge for writers as they must possess both technical knowledge and the ability to convey that information quickly and coherently.
It is crucial to keep the public informed, especially during tight races or when various factors delay a call.
“It is vital for any organization to maintain transparency, particularly as there are ongoing efforts to question the credibility of election calls,” remarked Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of Hofstra University’s communications school and a veteran NBC News producer. He noted that making this information understandable to the general public poses significant challenges.
This organization recorded an impressive accuracy rate of 99.9% in its election calls for presidents, Congress, and governors in the 2020 race.
Despite this, there was considerable backlash from then-President Trump and his supporters when Fox News and this organization announced Joe Biden as the winner in Arizona before other platforms did. Although the call was accurate, it intensified public distrust regarding the voting process, leading to significant repercussions for Fox News among its viewership.
Pace said there is a clear connection between that incident and the decision to enhance the systematic approach to explanatory efforts in the upcoming elections. “We need to be more adept and faster at clarifying what is transpiring at those critical moments instead of merely asserting, ‘We’re the AP, we have a 99% accuracy rate, surely we’re correct,’” she emphasized.
Reporters must also remain vigilant about seemingly minor occurrences during elections, such as erroneous number entries on tallies or malfunctioning voting machines that cause delays at polling places. These incidents should be reported to prevent the emergence of conspiracy theories.
Ultimately, Pace asserted that elections in the United States have been conducted with remarkable efficiency. “My aspiration is that those who feel uncertain about the process—or what occurs behind closed doors—will find that we’ve been open about it all. It’s all accessible,” she mentioned.
“While I recognize that sharing this information won’t extinguish all skepticism surrounding elections or eliminate misinformation, it represents a formidable effort to ensure that factual, explanatory content concerning elections is readily available.”
The organization has experimented with this kind of content early in the election season, and the positive response from readers affirm its importance. “It has reinforced our belief that this is a direction we should pursue,” said Pace.