Election Night State Calling Question

[Kittycat]

Are the news stations planning on waiting until all the polls have closed in all states to call things, or are they going to start calling states, as each individual state closes?

Thanks.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. They will call the states when they feel confident enough to make a projection.

[Kittycat]

3. That's what I figured

Someone just confused me... Their Polysci professor said they're waiting until the nation closes. I didn't think that sounded right.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. I'm sure they will call individual states as the results become clear, as they always have.

[rvablue]

4. ON EDIT: I WAS WRONG! HERE'S THE SKINNY:

All of the networks have an agreement not to call ANY of the state's until voting has been completed in California and the rest of the West Coast states so as not to affect voter turnout.

There is no law, it is an agreement that they all came to and follow.

Here's the deal. We will definitely not hear any calling of anything until 11 pm. But all of the networks will share exit polling data starting when any particular state closes their polls and so in some cases, like in NY and CT, etc. it will be pretty obvious according to exit polls that those states are in the D column.

So, for instance we will see numbers for VA as early as 7:30 or 8 pm because the polls in VA close at 7 pm. But these will be exit polls. And as we all remember from 2004, some exit polls said Kerry had won a state, but then it went to Bush.

[BlooInBloo]

5. Ah. Did not know that - thanks!

[BanTheGOP]

7. So??? When did a measly law stop republicans????

Too funny. Calling an election early is like walking on a prohibited grassy area, while the republicans commit serial murders with their documented and verified ballot box tampering. They are even publicly going to tamper with the election, and the media, who is in the financial pocketes of the right wing conservative republican elite will blindly ignore such warnings.

ONCE we take power, we need to seriously undermine republican influence until we can get our legal personnel to bring a criminal case against the republican party apparatus.

[rvablue]

9. I was merely answering a question that was posed

and I am sure you will find that I am correct as on Election night you will not see any network or cable channel including Faux News call a state for either candidate until the polls close in that particular state.

[Kittycat]

10. So the question is... What time do the CA polls close?

It's going to be a LATE night *sigh*. And I just found out this AM, that I have to be at the polls from 5:15AM until everyone has voted, and the final vote tape has been run.

[rvablue]

12. CA polls close at 11 pm Eastern time, 8pm Pacific time (west coast) and

boy do you have a long day ahead of you.....good luck!

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. The last few elections, they have called states as the polls close.

Which means they will try to call the east coast as soon after 8 PM EST as they can. As long as they're only projecting THOSE states, that's fine.

But an overall early projection of the race could really hurt some races out west. Let's say Obama takes Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as all the other states that are polling as "blue" right now. Great news for the country, but if the media calls it, it could be a disaster for some of the western states. It would be nice if they could hold off making "THE Call" until the polls close in Alaska, since there's a senate race up there which may be more important than anyone would have previously thought. But the east coast media bosses probably wouldn't like that. It would be 2 AM on the east coast before the word went out.

[DemocracyInaction]

8. Wait a minute--we might be confused

Obviously, with the primaries, they called states any time after the state's polls closed. In past elections they would call any state after it's polls closed OR at least by time zone. However, remember all the shit in 2000 over FL because of the Panhandle being in CT? Well, I thought, for some reason, that we are now not able to call east to west because it might discourage western voters?? Honestly, the professor might be right and we need someone to get the correct answer!!! I know someone here said Todd said they could call VA an hour after closing...but does he mean after VA closes or the nation closes???? I do think there has been a change in the law.

[azmouse]

11. OMG... This is funny. I was looking for an answer to your question

and I found this:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_will_the_result_of_presidential_elections_be_announced_in_US

When will the result of presidential elections be announced in US?

They results are usually available the night of the election after enough polls have closed to know the result.
Or occasionally the result is announced when the Supreme Court decides who they want to win.