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‘Unprecedented’ transparency into race calls

At 6:32 p.m. ET on Wednesday, more than a week after Election Day, The Associated Press called the U.S. House for the Republican Party after Republicans secured the 218th seat needed to gain control.

Shortly thereafter AP published a story explaining how it was able to call control of the House for the GOP.

AP called the Senate for the Democratic Party at 9:44 p.m. ET Saturday and published a similar explainer.

AP staffers in Washington on election night, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

“AP provided an unprecedented level of transparency into its race calling operations this year, explaining in detail the status of key races and how our team was able to declare winners in key races,” said AP Executive Editor Julie Pace. “We hope this effort bolsters the public’s trust in our decision desk and election coverage.”

AP’s explanatory journalism, including around race calls, offered a window into the news organization’s essential role in the American democracy, from counting the votes to declaring the winners to covering the election for the public.

In all, AP tabulated 7,000 races, tallying the vote in Senate and House races, gubernatorial contests and statewide races ranging from secretary of state to attorney general and more.

Follow AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections.

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