AP announces coverage plans for midterm elections

AP has reporters working in every statehouse throughout the year, and more than 5,000 stringers will be deployed across the country on election night to help AP Election Services gather local vote counts. No other national news organization can match AP’s footprint, on-the-ground knowledge or the deep expertise of our elections team in Washington. 

AP’s coverage began long before the first ballots were cast. The national reporting team, headed by U.S. Political Editor David Scott, endeavors to break news, while providing clarity and crucial context.

In the runup to Tuesday, AP will distribute stories on early voting and key ballot measures, as well as explainers on what to look for on Election Day and analyses on how the outcome will affect the final two years of President Barack Obama’s presidency and how the results may alter the political landscape for 2016.

And as the votes roll in on election night, it’s AP that will count them. The news industry and the public turn to AP, a not-for-profit cooperative, to provide fast and accurate results on national, state and local races and key ballot initiatives. AP’s vote count is considered by news organizations and the audiences they serve to be the definitive source of race results.

“Calling races, from the national level to state legislatures, is a vital function AP provides to members and customers,” said AP Washington Bureau Chief Sally Buzbee. “Being able to accurately and quickly call those statewide and state-level races is critical to their ability to provide strong election night coverage for their audiences around the world.”

Among other highlights:

• AP will provide high-definition video reports on races key to determining control of the Senate and the governor’s races in Florida and Wisconsin. In addition, AP political reporters will give on-camera analyses. AP Radio will broadcast live with results at 20 and 40 minutes past each hour.
• Exclusive photos of the elections are available via AP Images.
• AP will also offer an array of mobile-friendly content, such as an interactive map and a real-time documentary-in-miniature, using Instagram’s 15-second video capabilities to focus on AP editors and reporters as Election Day unfolds to give readers a better understanding of how AP covers elections.
• As part of AP’s ongoing efforts to spotlight member coverage, AP Mobile is featuring local election coverage from member newspapers, including the Alaska Dispatch News, The Denver Post, The Des Moines Register, The Wichita Eagle, The Detroit News and The Charlotte Observer. AP will also produce a dynamic feed of race calls, photos and videos on the AP Mobile news app for iOS.
• AP Global Media Services will serve an array of visiting TV broadcasters by operating live stand-up positions in New York, California, Washington and Kentucky.   

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