Whether they’re the result of a few hundred voters or tens of thousands, elections help shape our future. They decide how the economy works, what foreign policy to pursue, what the role of law enforcement should be in our communities, and even what the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Election results matter, and it is important to understand how they are collected so that citizens can feel confident in the process of democracy.
After a race’s polls close, ballots and electronic vote records are securely transferred to the elections office. News outlets then track these results in their own vote reporting systems and compare data to each other to make unofficial predictions about the winner, which they often call a “call.” This process continues for days (and sometimes weeks) until all votes have been counted and the final official results are certified.
Previous research shows that electoral expectations are driven largely by partisan biases, so an unexpected outcome should have a large impact on voters’ confidence in the electoral process and satisfaction with democracy. In addition, some studies show that elite messages following an election can also affect these attitudes by increasing or decreasing voter belief in the possibility of fraud.
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