AP VoteCast Data Delivery Schedule

First Data Delivery

First results (also known as Stage 1) from the national and state surveys are made available at 5 p.m. ET.

The initial data does not include details on vote choice among subgroups — for example, the percentage of people who voted for a candidate in a race. That data (in the raceCandidates collection, the candidateValues collection and the catResponseCount variable) will be included in deliveries made after polls close.

Second Data Delivery

Before poll close, Stage 2 data will be sent in the "preclose" files (not including those candidate collections), and then again after poll close with the candidate collections included in the "postclose" files.

Subsequent Data Deliveries

Over the course of the night, AP will use the vote count to further update AP VoteCast results, adding an additional layer of refinement to estimates of voter attitudes, opinions and demographics.

That process will continue on a regular schedule through 11 a.m. the following day, and as required in the days thereafter until the vote count is complete.

Each update will be represented by a new Stage number; for example, the first update after 11 a.m. on the day after Election Day will be Stage 6.

Data Deliveries Between Stages

AP may also elect to send an ad hoc delivery between scheduled stages. This will happen most often when there is an opportunity to calibrate the data to the actual vote count ahead of schedule. These stages will be labeled "3a," "3b," "3c" and so on.