Why are the media reporting different US election results?

[ghostnath]

As the US election slowly draws to its conclusion, one of the areas of confusion is that different media outlets are showing different results for the electoral votes.

The president is elected by winning at least 270 electoral college votes, not the outcome of the popular vote. Because there is no centralized federal election system, it has become a tradition in the US that “decision desks” at media organizations make a call that states have been won by one candidate or the other when enough votes have been counted. States that are too close to call – such as Nevada and Georgia at the moment – remain in the balance until a network “calls” them. Reviews

 

[mongo18]

None of the election results are certified yet, but votes are reported at regular intervals as they are counted. So news networks set up their own election tracking people and systems and when they feel confident that enough of a vote has been reported they make their predictions as to who won it. They can tell you anything they want up until the state reports a final count, but the honest ones are usually more or less in line with each other, they just call them at different times depending on how ballsy they're feeling.

 

[John_8581]

Exactly as what Mongo has said. For example, my newspaper in New York called Arizona early for Biden with 83.7% of the vote in. Biden had 52.1% vs. Trump's 46.4% with 1.5% for other candidates. However, during last night, according to CBS News, Maricopa County (Arizona largest county) gave votes back to Trump and Biden's lead has shrunk. Currently, in Arizona, with 90% of the vote in, Biden has 50.1% (1,532,062) vs Trump's 48.5% (1,485,010) with 1.4% for other candidates.

According to CBS News, in Georgia with 99% of the votes counted currently, they are tied with 49.4% each. Biden has a slim lead in the popular vote. About 1,100 votes. Biden has 2,449.580 vs. Trump coming in at 2,448,484.

This is what CBS News has as the electoral count:

As there are 538 electoral votes overall, the actual number that Biden has is 253 and Trump has 214.

What remains is Pennsylvania 20, Georgia 16, North Carolina 15, Arizona 11, Nevada 6 and Alaska 3.

All that equates to the 538. 270 are needed to gain the Presidency.

 

[gmase]

The Politics section of the board is popular. Users join a porn site and immediately go to the Politics. 🤔

What you're saying here is "the media is not acting in unison"?

Why the differences? They all have varying models to forecast out the uncounted votes. As they get comfortable that the results match their polling, they can make these calls. For example, CA and NY were called with about 0% of the vote. Other states are too close even with 98% of the expected vote counted.

It's basic stats: Expected v Actual.

 

[Señor Sarcasmo]

One would do well to remember the accuracy history of these pollsters, and these media houses that promised proof of COLLUSION and OBSTRUCTION, and certain REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. How'd those pan out, when reality is referenced?

Here's a good one, a hypothetical question, and some Constitutional education, long before any of this:

FOX News - What Happens if There is No Clear Winner?

When you go to sleep tonight, the President of the United States is Donald Trump. Guess what? When you wake up tomorrow, it'll still be true. 😉

... like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before ...

 

[gmase]

I do recall the accuracy. Our interpretation of the polls skews the results. A 90% chance of winning is not 100%. A 10% chance of winning is not 0%. In fact, they showed how tough it was going to be for Trump. He needed a string of coin flips to go his way while Biden only needed a few. Biden got his few, Trump didn't. Win some, lose some. It's a normal part of presidential history.

You are correct, Trump is the constitutionally elected president. I have no qualms about it - he won fair and square. He'll lose this fair and square and when we wake up on January 22, 2021, Biden will be President of the United States.

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

Regarding Polls. I hate to be the one to say it but, People will lie to Pollsters. Hard to believe in a country based on Truth huh?

 

[Señor Sarcasmo]

The Politics section of the board is popular. Users join a porn site and immediately go to the Politics. 🤔

What you're saying here is "the media is not acting in unison"?

Why the differences? They all have varying models to forecast out the uncounted votes. As they get comfortable that the results match their polling, they can make these calls. For example, CA and NY were called with about 0% of the vote. Other states are too close even with 98% of the expected vote counted.

It's basic stats: Expected v Actual.

It's especially popular with moderators. Like, in multiples. (someone has to fill the void for all the conservative voices that are banned, like all the conservative voices, someone has to break the ice when hyper-proactive-aggressive-clairvoyant mods make ominous threats about how they're here to REGULATE, good for you sunshine, that and 50¢ means you can stay and have coffee, and chill the forum to a standstill, so talk to yourselves 😂)

 

[John_8581]

It's especially popular with moderators. Like, in multiples. (someone has to fill the void for all the conservative voices that are banned, like all the conservative voices, someone has to break the ice when hyper-proactive-aggressive-clairvoyant mods make ominous threats about how they're here to REGULATE, good for you sunshine, that and 50¢ means you can stay and have coffee, and chill the forum to a standstill, so talk to yourselves 😂)

I see the 🐬"Mexican" 🐬 is back in rare form.

Photo courtesy of Phil Collins and Genesis.

When you go to sleep tonight, the President of the United States is Donald Trump. Guess what? When you wake up tomorrow, it'll still be true. 😉

... like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before ...

Since when? He'd have to "flip" Arizona and Nevada. Then sue every other state ...

Just not happening.

 

[Steve-FreeOnes]

It's especially popular with moderators. Like, in multiples. (someone has to fill the void for all the conservative voices that are banned, like all the conservative voices, someone has to break the ice when hyper-proactive-aggressive-clairvoyant mods make ominous threats about how they're here to REGULATE, good for you sunshine, that and 50¢ means you can stay and have coffee, and chill the forum to a standstill, so talk to yourselves 😂)

What conservatives voices have been banned, aside from yours? For the record, you were banned for being an incessantly boring and unfunny troll, not for your political beliefs.

 

[xfire]

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

Regarding banning conservatives, most of the ones with issues here and elsewhere wouldn't know a real Conservative if he/she bit them on the ass and said We're here.

 

[tvstrip]

I don't see the benefit of putting any political slant on the reporting of the election results. Once the votes are in, any inaccuracies are just going to make you look incompetent, as we saw in 2000.

You can of course spin the end result as "not that bad" (he still got 47%+ of the popular vote), or a "win" in some respects (they kept the senate), but in terms of reporting the vote count to simply determine the winner, accuracy should be the priority for all outlets.

 

[xfire]

It is with a heavy heart and with much sadness that I want to let you guys know that my potential friend Dolphin.Dick who goes by many alternates on these esteemed FreeOnes message boards, has officially blocked me on Twitter.

 

[gmase]

It is with a heavy heart and with much sadness that I want to let you guys know that my potential friend Dolphin.Dick who goes by many alternates on these esteemed FreeOnes message boards, has officially blocked me on Twitter.

I'm sorry.

You seem to have found the safe space he needed.

 

[Steve-FreeOnes]

It is with a heavy heart and with much sadness that I want to let you guys know that my potential friend Dolphin.Dick who goes by many alternates on these esteemed FreeOnes message boards, has officially blocked me on Twitter.

That 2020 redemptive arc just keeps on delivering.

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

It is with a heavy heart and with much sadness that I want to let you guys know that my potential friend Dolphin.Dick who goes by many alternates on these esteemed FreeOnes message boards, has officially blocked me on Twitter.

Oh The Humanity...

 

[xfire]

Oh The Humanity...

I know, he came and found me on twitter a few months ago, followed me, unfollowed me, followed me again, then yesterday blocked me. 😪

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

I know, he came and found me on twitter a few months ago, followed me, unfollowed me, followed me again, then yesterday blocked me. 😪

Some people have all the Luck