# When will media announce election results? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867 "2008-11-03T14:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/1 "2008-11-03T14:59:34Z")
Does anyone know any info concerning when the major media outlets intend to announce elction results tomorrow? Do they intend to announce eastern time zone states before the west coast polls close. Man, I’ll go crazy if I have to wait until 10 p.m. to hear any results! ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/2 "2008-11-03T15:40:20Z")
They announce them state by state generally and then for the country. They do this when enough of the vote has been counted and gone to one candidate that they feel confident that he will win. In 2000 they called things too early so in 2004 they were very conservative and waited a long time to make a final call. I am not sure how long they will decide to wait before calling the election this time. If it is a blowout then they will call much earlier than if it is close. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/3 "2008-11-03T15:48:07Z")
They normally announce even before the votes are in if the exit polls reveal a clear victor in the state. If so, they call the state as soon as voting ends. If the exit polls don’t have a clear winner then they wait until enough of the important tell-tale precincts are counted. Most states will be reported as soon as the polls close. Of course, it’s the interesting ones that will be held up waiting for the real results. The big question will be whether they call the election if Obama is projected to have the needed 270 electoral votes before the Pacific states close at 11:00 eastern. That’s not a likely occurrence, but conceivable if he gets the 360 or so total that some projections indicate. That would put him over without the far west. If so, the networks will be in a bind. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/4 "2008-11-03T16:02:34Z")
It looks like there are 87 electoral votes in the states where polls close after 11:00 PM EST. Those will almost certainly be split 77-10. So Obama would need to get at least 347 total for the race to be officially called before 11 PM. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/5 "2008-11-03T16:03:49Z")
As I recall, they have followed different practices in different years, tho the recent trend has been to not announce a state before polls close in that state. But with so many swing states in the east and midwest, I can imagine things looking mighty differently should all or most of OH, PA, VA, FLA, IN, MO all go one way or the other. Can anyone on the west coast tell me how common it is for folks to check east coast results before deciding whether or not to vote? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/6 "2008-11-03T16:15:05Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Can anyone on the west coast tell me how common it is for folks to check east coast results before deciding whether or not to vote? Very few would be the number of people who wait to see what the east coast does _before_ they cast their vote. With lines expected to be very long, I’ll guess left coasters will already be in line before results come through. The only way we’ll know before Midnight is if Obama outperforms what is already expected in NC, VA, OH, PA, FL, IN - if he begins to blow those states out of the water they could announce before CA closes. I doubt it though. **Dinsdale** - I’ll not be drinking election night either… ☹ I’ll have to watch the results with open eyes and intravenous blood pressure meds. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/7 "2008-11-03T16:24:23Z")
For your convenience, here’s a [list of poll closing times arranged chronologically.](http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G08/closing.phtml?format=ec) Note that several states will span multiple time zones; after the 2000 Florida debacle, the networks are going to be damn sure not to call any states before _all_ the polls are closed.[sup]1[/sup] Based on this list, here’s the earliest you can expect (preliminary) results to be reported from the “interesting” states:[ul][li]7 PM EST: Indiana, Georgia, Virginia[/li][li]7:30 PM EST: Ohio[/li][li]8 PM EST: Florida, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Missouri[/li][li]8:30 PM EST: North Carolina[/li][li]9 PM EST: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, Arizona[/li][li]10 PM EST: Montana, Iowa, Nevada[/li][li]11 PM EST: North Dakota[/ul][/li]Of course, given that these states are “interesting”, you shouldn’t expect them to be called until somewhat after these times. I definitely wouldn’t expect a final election call before 9 PM Eastern, and probably not until 10 PM. [sup]1[/sup] Florida was called for Gore in 2000 before polls had closed in the parts of the Florida Panhandle that observe Central Standard Time. ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/8 "2008-11-03T16:46:06Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Can anyone on the west coast tell me how common it is for folks to check east coast results before deciding whether or not to vote? I live in California and I can’t find any source that proves it but anecdotally it seems to be true when democrats have a substantial lead. I know a lot of people who don’t bother voting in presidential elections because they think it’s a foregone conclusion that the state will go democratic. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/9 "2008-11-03T17:05:25Z")
If Obama is carrying Florida and Pennsylvania when the polls close there, then the election is over. Even though there will be several swing states that McCain could possibly win it won’t be enough. If McCain wins Florida or Florida is too close to call then it could be a nailbiter, but Obama is comfortably ahead in both those states. We’re very unlikely to see a repeat of 2000 or 2004 where the outcome depends on a razor-thin margin of victory in one or two states. There are probably going to be several states with a razor-thin margin of victory but those states won’t have enough electoral votes to change the results of the election. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/10 "2008-11-03T17:18:57Z")
Even though the polls close at, say 7:30 in Ohio, voting can continue for some hours after that, because if you are in line at your polling place before the polls close, you can vote. It may be not as long as it was in 2004, but it still could be an hour or two. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/11 "2008-11-03T19:12:54Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > If Obama is carrying Florida and Pennsylvania when the polls close there, then the election is over. Personally, I’d ammend that to replace Florida with Virginia. There isn’t really any possible road to a Mccain victory if Obama captures **both** Pennsylvania and Virginia. Ohio, Florida, etc. would all just be icing on the cake at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/12 "2008-11-03T23:25:01Z")
Obama needs one southern state to win, if he gets Virginia it’s over, whether anyone calls it or not. That is unless McCain can get Pennslyvania somehow, which would require Obama to get two southern states. In the previous two election the NE is Democratic and the South is Republican so it came down to going all the way across west. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/13 "2008-11-04T00:18:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Very few would be the number of people who wait to see what the east coast does before they cast their vote. … Particularly with the push for early and mail-in voting. Mail ballots are expected to be 40% of the CA total. A large chunk of California has voted already. And OR is entirely by mail. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/14 "2008-11-04T00:36:47Z")
[quote=“MikeS, post:7, topic:470867”] [li]8:30 PM EST: North Carolina[/li][/QUOTE] I would definitely not use that site to determine when I was planning to get to vote. > [@North Carolina General Statutes](#): > > § 163‑166.01. Hours for voting. > > In every election, the voting place shall be open at 6:30 A.M. and shall be closed at 7:30 P.M. **In extraordinary circumstances, the county board of elections may direct that the polls remain open until 8:30 P.M.** If any voter is in line to vote at the time the polls are closed, that voter shall be permitted to vote. No voter shall be permitted to vote who arrives at the voting place after the closing of the polls. > > Any voter who votes after the statutory poll closing time of 7:30 P.M. by virtue of a federal or State court order or any other lawful order, including an order of a county board of elections, shall be allowed to vote, under the provisions of that order, only by using a provisional official ballot. Any special provisional official ballots cast under this section shall be separated, counted, and held apart from other provisional ballots cast by other voters not under the effect of the order extending the closing time of the voting place. If the court order has not been reversed or stayed by the time of the county canvass, the total for that category of provisional ballots shall be added to the official canvass. (2001‑460, s. 3; 2003‑226, s. 14.) Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/15 "2008-11-04T03:10:13Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I would definitely not use that site to determine when I was planning to get to vote. Yeah, upon further examination it’s more a list of the latest possible times polls can remain open in a given state by law. The caveats & clauses for the poll closing times are listed if you click on each state’s name. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/16 "2008-11-04T03:51:54Z")
The NY Times just put out an article on this subject: [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/us/politics/04network.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/us/politics/04network.html) > [@](#): > > At least one broadcast network and one Web site said Monday that they could foresee signaling to viewers early Tuesday evening which candidate appeared to have won the presidency, despite the unreliability of some early exit polls in the last presidential election. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/17 "2008-11-04T04:20:25Z")
> [@](#): > > “There’s no way to get around it,” CBS News senior vp Paul Friedman said. “If one man gets 270 electoral votes before the West Coast polls are closed, we’re not going to pretend (he doesn’t).” > > Phil Alongi, who runs special events programing at NBC News, agrees. > > “If you project a state and (the candidate) reaches the electoral vote, what are you going to do? Lie?” Alongi said. “We will project a state when we’re comfortable with the projection. If one of them hits the required 270, you have to report that, and you can’t hold back.” Source: [Reuters Wire](http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4A30KM20081104?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true). Expect it to happen. The media will do it out of self-interest, ad revenue and bragging rights. At the same time, [Nate Silver](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/) said on Olbermann tonight that exit polls are meaningless. He did say if Obama picks up Florida, Virginia or Pennsylvania, it’s all over. ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/18 "2008-11-04T04:25:42Z")
From [538](http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/what-mccain-win-looks-like.html): > [@](#): > > Also, there are some states that truly do appear to be “must-wins” for McCain. In each and every one of the 624 victory scenarios that the simulation found for him this afternoon, McCain won Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Montana. He also picked up Ohio in 621 out of the 624 simulations, and North Carolina in 622 out of 624. If McCain drops any of those states, it’s pretty much over. The media may not call it, but an Obama victory could be obvious before most of the West Coast has left work (I’ll be voting in the morning, in any case-- and there’s a Big Deal ballot measure out there this year-- I wouldn’t worry about Californians not voting). Interestingly, Obama can lose ALL of McCain’s must-win states and still win. The states 538 lists at 100% projected for Obama equal 239 electoral votes. PA & NH are at 99% Obama, which would be 264. Virginia, the next strongest Obama state in EST, is 95% Obama. Virginia goes for Obama and McCain is done. (Any state \>5 will do it, of course, I just bet Virginia will be called first) ETA: Tom Brokaw was on the Daily Show a week or so back and mentioned calling the 1984 election for Reagan at 8:15 EST because he already had his 270. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/19 "2008-11-04T15:34:17Z")
What is it with ‘calling’ results anyway? I understand that you need to make an estimate one way or another to figure out the electoral college, which in turn shows how far behind/ahead a candidate is, but all that calling / uncalling bit the last couple of times just made U.S. news outlets look stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867/20 "2008-11-04T15:44:13Z")
People want to know who won. Look at this thread, which is about the millionth thread of this electoral season asking when the results will be in. They want to know as soon as it’s possible to know. The networks would be idiots not to call states as soon as the results are meaningful. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-media-announce-election-results/470867.md?page=2)