Election results are the final votes counted to determine a winner for a particular race. This counting starts on election day and continues days, or even weeks after, to make sure every ballot is securely and accurately counted — including mail ballots, military ballots, and provisional ballots. The process also includes a review (called a canvass) of all vote totals to make sure there are no clerical errors in the count.
Media outlets track these preliminary results and report them to the public in a running tally that shows how close a race is. This information is used to help them predict who will win a given race. This prediction is known as a call. Once a call is made, the media may devote less time to reporting ongoing vote counting for that race. However, news outlets continue to collect and compare these results, which helps them track their progress towards a completed result.
In addition to state-level results, polls that ask randomly selected voters who they voted for can provide some insights into national trends. These surveys are called exit polls and, like any other poll, they have a margin of error.
After the election, state-level Electoral College results are certified by the states. Then the Vice President presides over the Electoral College vote count in Congress. Once the count is complete, Congress announces which candidates won a majority of electoral votes and who was elected President and Vice President.
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