Why AP calls US elections: When and how the tradition was established

The 2026 midterm election which is set to take place across the United States in a few hours from now is going to be a crucial political test for President Donald Trump and both major parties (Democrats and Republicans). With control of Congress at stake, the results could have far-reaching implications for Washington and the remainder of Trump's presidency.

Meanwhile, news agency the Associated Press is gearing up to announce the US election winners, as it has done since several years.

Why does AP calls US election winners?

But why does AP calls US election winners needs a bit of explanation. For people who are new to US elections, AP has declared winners in US elections since 1848, when it reported the victory of Whig candidate Zachary Taylor over Democrat Lewis Cass. That's because the Founding Fathers did not set up a single federal election authority that collected and announced nationwide results.

Elections were administered separately by states and local jurisdictions during that time and newspapers depended on information arriving from different parts of the country.

So, national news organisation could collect, consolidate and distribute results much more efficiently which is why AP gradually became a trusted central source for election information.

So every US election night, The Associated Press counts the the total votes polled by tallying millions of ballots and determining which candidates have won their races.

However, the news agency does not officially decide who wins an election. It reports and declares, as a news organisation, when the available evidence establishes who has won. It is the government authority that makes the final announcement.