Spectrum News is committed to providing our audience with accurate, factual information, along with the context and analysis that allows them to understand election results and develop informed opinions.

And as a network of local news organizations supported by a national team, we are committed to not just covering the national contests but also the state and local races that are critical to our democracy.   

Spectrum News partners with the Associated Press for federal and state election results. The AP has a careful, established process for counting votes and declaring projected winners on election night and in the days and weeks afterwards. It has been doing this work for 170 years. Projected winners are declared based on actual election data, collected by a network of 4,000 freelance workers who work with local election commissions nationwide. The AP does not speculate but waits until it can say definitively which candidates are projected to have won, based on vote count, polling research, and other data.  

When Spectrum News shares results, the numbers and projected winners will be attributed to the AP. Read more about how the Associated Press manages election coverage.

Occasionally, our local political journalists will project the winners for local races, in consultation with their editorial leadership and AP data. But in 2020, with the prevalence of absentee ballot voting, many of these calls may be delayed.  

Our multi-platform coverage will be led by our local Spectrum News 1 political team. The unit includes political producers Ariana Lipkin and Marissa Mizroch, Capital Tonight anchor Karina Kling, and reporters Reena Diamante and Kathyrn Gisi. On election night, they will be working with the entire newsroom to cover polling, the voting process, results, and reactions from candidates and voters.

Throughout our election coverage, the Spectrum News senior editorial leadership team, including Head of News Standards and Practices Bernie Han, will be providing support and guidance to our newsrooms across the country, ensuring our standards are consistent and our reporting fair and accurate.