Long before the Internet, smartphones or social media, the Associated Press reported the results of the United States election. Our foundational role in American democracy—the greatest act of journalism in the world—dates back to 1848, when we called the White House for Zachary Taylor.

Today, nearly two centuries later, the AP remains the gold standard for reliable election night information.

As an independent, nonpartisan global news organization, our mission is to provide fact-based information that helps voters make decisions at the polls. We have no political agenda or vested interest – we just focus on getting it right.

AP is ready again on November 5th accurately name races up and down the ballot, from President to Congress to state and local contests in all 50 states. We will declare winners in 5,000 races contested across the country without fear or favor, based on facts alone. In 2020, the AP was correct in every race for president, governor, Senate and US House – and more than 99.9% accurate overall. While we strive to report results as quickly as possible, our main goal is to get them right — no matter how long it might take.

This important work is being done against the backdrop of an electorate that has become increasingly skeptical of election results. A 2023 AP-NORC survey showed that only 44% of Americans say they are very confident that the votes in the 2024 presidential election will be counted accurately.

This tells us that we at AP need to do a better job of explaining and demystifying the process.

So we are. In addition to providing factual election coverage before, during and after election night, the AP is redoubling its efforts to explain the election. We know that reporting results is not enough. We need to show our work – be clear about the numbers we calculated, where they came from and how we ensured their integrity. You have our commitment to be as transparent as possible about our race calling process.

After all, this is something the PA has been doing for nearly two centuries. Since the dawn of the republic, elections in the US have been administered at the state and local level; there is no federal body that counts the votes or shares the results. That is why AP stepped in to fill that gap shortly after our founding in 1846 – to independently provide election results to the world.

We play a crucial role in the American democratic process. We have fulfilled this responsibility through world wars and pandemics, political and social upheaval. No organization has called elections for longer than the AP.

We look forward to once again delivering results you can count on. You can trust The Associated Press to do things right, as we have done for more than 170 years.