Election 2020-General Election, ADVISORY
The General Election takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. At the top of the ticket is the U.S. presidency, along with all 435 U.S. House seats, 35 U.S. Senate seats and 11 gubernatorial races.
Election 2020-General Election, Advisory will move daily between now and Election Day.
The AP plans the following coverage on Election Day. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan. Find the AP’s latest coverage in our Election 2020 hub.
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VOTECAST
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AP VoteCast is an election survey of voters in the 2020 general election that breaks down the electorate, illuminates the issues voters care about and illustrates how their opinions and preferences led to the selection of the next president, U.S. senators and governors nationwide.
The AP plans the following AP VoteCast coverage for world and state lines on Election Day. Coverage will commence at 5 p.m. ET, with updated planned throughout the night.
ELECTION 2020-VOTECAST: AP VoteCast offers insight into the American electorate and voter attitudes as they picked a new president in a historic election year.
ELECTION 2020-VOTECAST-GLANCE: Top takeaways from AP VoteCast, at a glance.
ELECTION 2020-VOTECAST-SNAPSHOT: A look at the demographics of the national electorate for president. Updates will move throughout the evening. Similar glances will move for all states Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, slugged XX--VOTECAST-(STATENAME)-SNAPSHOT.
Additionally, state lines stories are planned in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin. These stories will offer insight into the electorate and voter attitudes in each state, slugged XX--VOTECAST-(STATENAME).
Separate VoteCast graphics for print, digital and broadcast on the following are planned: gender; age; race; place; education and race; direction of the country; top issues; the economy; and the virus outbreak.
A digital interactive is also available for use online and on mobile. Click for a preview.
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TOP STORIES
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TEXT:
TUESDAY, NOV. 3:
ELECTION 2020: Americans are making their choice between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, selecting a leader to steer a nation battered by a surging pandemic that has killed more than 231,000 people and cost millions their jobs. SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-THE LATEST: Latest developments in the general election. Will be updated throughout the day and evening.
ELECTION 2020-VOTING: Election Day in the U.S. is unfolding like no other, with nearly 100 million Americans having already cast their ballots before polls opened. SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-STATE POLITICAL POWER: Governors and legislative races will determine which party wields political power at the state level, which is especially important this year because it will determine who controls the next round of congressional and legislative redistricting. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, by 4 p.m.
ELECTION 2020-SENATE: Control of the Senate is at stake. Republicans are fighting in Tuesday’s election to retain their majority against a surge of Democratic challengers across a vast political map in states once considered long shots for Democrats. SENT; developing With ELECTION 2020-SENATE-LATEST: Latest developments in Senate elections.
ELECTION 2020-HOUSE: Running coverage of US House elections. Set up story moves overnight with updates throughout the day and evening. With ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-LATEST: Latest developments in US House elections.
ELECTION 2020-LEGAL CHALLENGES: President Donald Trump says he’s planning an aggressive legal strategy to try prevent Pennsylvania from counting mailed ballots that are received in the three days after the election. SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-VOTING-TEXAS: A panel of federal appeals court judges has rejected an eleventh hour Republican effort to bar Election Day drive-thru voting in Houston. SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP ARMY: President Donald Trump’s campaign is poised to deploy an “army” of volunteers and paid staff on Tuesday to watch elections precincts in Democratic-leaning areas. SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-FLOYD'S BROTHER: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks: Their names re-energized the Black Lives Matter movement and put race at the center of this year’s general election. On Election Day, their loved ones will await signs that their public grief and loss of anonymity wasn’t in vain. Will Americans choose racial justice over “law and order”? UPCOMING: 1000 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-ANXIOUS VOTERS: Americans lining up to vote on Election Day are exhausted from constant crises, on edge amid volatile political divisions and anxious about what’s to come. Along with those who cast ballots early, they say basic democratic foundations feel brittle. SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-LOOKING AT AMERICA: For countries around the planet, the presidency of Donald Trump in its first term has been, it is safe to say, a singular experience to watch. Now that an inflection point in Trump’s time in office is at hand with Tuesday’s U.S. election, what’s at stake if his presidency ends – or if it continues? Nation by nation, how is Election Day in the United States being watched, considered assessed? SENT; developing.
ELECTION 2020-BALLOT MEASURES: Voters are deciding the fate of dozens of propositions around the country that have received less attention than the high-stakes presidential race but could have a major impact, with issues such as marijuana legalization, affirmative action and the redesign of the Mississippi state flag on the ballot. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, by 4 p.m.
ELECTION 2020-WHAT TO WATCH: Six things to watch for on Election Day. SENT: 1000 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-MEDIA: Analysis of media coverage. UPCOMING: 900 words by 10 p.m.
ELECTION 2020-(BIDEN)(TRUMP): Profile of winner of U.S. presidency. If Biden wins, a separate also is planned on Kamala Harris. NOTE: THIS STORY WILL MOVE AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS CALLED.
ELECTION 2020-HOW IT HAPPENED: An inside look at how the winner came out on top in a historic and tumultuous election. NOTE: THIS STORY WILL MOVE AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS CALLED.
ELECTION 2020-RACE: What the results say about the state of America’s racial reckoning. NOTE: THIS STORY WILL MOVE AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS CALLED.
ELECTION 2020-WHAT IT MEANS: What the outcome says about America. NOTE: THIS STORY WILL MOVE AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS CALLED.
ELECTION 2020-ANALYSIS: Analysis of the outcome. NOTE: THIS STORY WILL MOVE AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS CALLED.
ELECTION 2020-AMERICA VOTES-PHOTO GALLERY: Copy block and photos from around the U.S. of in-person voting on Election Day.
VIDEO:
AP video plans the following:
—Live coverage, edits from Trump headquarters including highlights from any potential speeches and visuals of the evening events.
—Live coverage, edits from Biden headquarters including highlights from any potential speeches and visuals of the evening events.
— Live coverage, edits from New York polling locations. Edits of voter voices from New York.
— Live coverage, edits from North Carolina polling locations. Edits of voter voices from North Carolina.
— Live coverage, edits from Michigan polling locations. Edits of voter voices from Michigan.
— Live coverage, edits from Wisconsin polling locations. Edits of voter voices from Wisconsin.
— Live coverage, edits from California polling locations. Edits of voter voices from California.
— Live coverage, edits from Florida polling locations. Edits of voter voices from Florida.
— Live coverage, edits from New Mexico polling locations. Edits of voter voices from New Mexico.
— Live beauty shots of the White House, Empire State Building and National Mall throughout Election Day.
— AP will have several debriefs from AP’s Votecast team on election night. NR/CR edits planned.
—AP will have crews in the following locations covering campaigns and providing live coverage and edits on merits: Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Arizona; Pennslyvania; Ohio.
PHOTOS:
AP photo plans the following coverage:
—Photos from Trump HQ
—Photos from Biden HQ
—Reaction photos from outside the White House.
INTERACTIVES:
ELECTION 2020-ADVANCE VOTING — Interactive guide. 2020 could be the first year in which more than half of voters cast their ballot for president before polls open on Election Day. AP is tracking these changes and has crafted an interactive guide giving you everything you need to know about early voting and mail-in ballots in each state. This guide will update dynamically as updated election rules and data are made available. Source: AP Election Services. Click for a preview.
ROAD TO 270 MAP: An interactive map accounting the number of electoral votes garnered by Republican and Democratic presidential contenders. Readers can view the past electoral results and play a game to come up with their own predictions. Click for a preview.
PRINT GRAPHICS:
ELECTION 2020-PRESIDENT ELECTORAL RESULTS: Presidential race state results sized by electoral vote allocations. Balance of power charts for both electoral and the popular vote are also included; updated and published throughout the night. 6 columnx11 inches. 1colx3 inches and 1colx5.5 inches also will be available.
ELECTION 2020-PRESIDENT POPULAR VOTE RESULTS: Presidential race county results of the popular vote. Balance of power charts for both electoral and the popular vote are also included; updated and published throughout the night.. 6 columnx10 inches
ELECTION 2020-CONGRESS RESULTS: Congressional results graphic shows race results by district for the House of Representatives and by state for the Senate. A balance of power chart for both branches of Congress indicating the balance of power is also included; with all related election stories; updated and published throughout the night. 6 columnx15 inches
ELECTION 2020-GOVERNOR RESULTS: Graphic shows the results of the gubernatorial race results across the U.S.Will be updated throughout the evening. 3 columnx5.5 inches
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STATE COVERAGE
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State coverage will in most cases include a news guide that highlights key races, as well as breakouts on top Senate, US House and Governor races, surprise results, and newsworthy losses. Find the latest state plans in Coverage Plan.
Slugs will be as follows:
US-Election 2020-Newsguide-(state) for example, UMoving overnight.S Election 2020-Newsguide-North Dakota. Moving overnight.
US-Election 2020-Senate-(state) for example, US Election 2020-Senate-South Carolina. Moving overnight.
US-Election 2020-House (XX)-(state) for example, US Election 2020-House 3-Michigan. Moving overnight.
US-Election 2020-Governor-(state) for example, US Election 2020-Governor-New Hampshire. Moving overnight.
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EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020
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TUESDAY, NOV. 3:
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-LONG LINES: Long voting lines on Election Day aren’t unusual or necessarily a sign of nefarious activity. Many factors contribute, including heavier-than-expected turnout, too few or malfunctioning voting machines, or poll workers who don’t show up for their assignments SENT: 330 words.
ELECTION 2020-VOTING IN 1800: The tempestuous election of 2020 has been rife with predictions of confusion and cataclysm, with warnings that a contested battle could last well into December. It’s happened before. Take 1800, for example.SENT: 330 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-THE TRANSITION: No matter who wins Tuesday’s election, Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden will each have their work cut out for them during the time known as “the transition.” SENT: 330 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-UNPOPULAR VICTORS: Five times in U.S. history, candidates have lost the popular vote but won the presidency — most recently in 2016. Could Donald Trump be the first to do it twice? SENT: 330 words.
The following explainers also moved overnight:
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-CORRECTING A BALLOT: Can a voter fix a problem on a mail-in ballot?
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-ELECTORAL COLLEGE: Electoral College vs popular vote in America.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-CONTESTED ELECTION: What happens if the US election is contested?
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: Does the federal gov’t have a role in the vote?
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-VOTING SECURITY: Are the nation’s voting systems secure?
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-ABSENTEE AND MAIL-IN: Are absentee votes and mail-in votes different?
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-EARLY VOTING: How does early voting work in the US election?
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-THE OUTCOME: How soon will we know the US election outcome?
The following explainers moved in earlier cycles and are available for use:
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-KNOWING THE RESULTS: It’s possible the world may not know the results of the U.S. election on Election Night – or for a while afterward. Why? SENT: 350 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-THE LIMBO: No matter what happens in the election, there will be a limbo period between who wins and who takes office on Jan. 20, 2021. What will that time look like – whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins? SENT: 350 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-INAUGURAL PLANNING: The inauguration of an American president is a large and complex affair – and only more so during a pandemic. How will planning it work? SENT: 350 words and photos.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-THE 270 FACTOR: You hear it everywhere: the number 270, the Electoral College threshold for winning the presidency. How does that break down? SENT: 350 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-UNPRECEDENTED OR NOT: Everybody’s talking about how different the 2020 election is, how it’s unlike any other in recent memory. What makes it so? SENT: 350 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-HOW IT’S CALLED: How does AP call a race? What’s the process behind it? SENT: 350 words and photos.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-51 ELECTIONS: A major misconception about the vote for U.S. president is that it is a national election. It’s not. Instead, it consists of 51 elections -- one in each state and in the District of Columbia. And that’s more than a technical difference. SENT: 350 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-THE WORDS OF POLITICS: The 2020 campaign season has injected new terms into the American lexicon. Here’s a look at a few of those and what they mean. SENT: 350 words.
EXPLAINING ELECTION 2020-STATES TO WATCH: Which states should you be watching on Election Day? SENT: 350 words.
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HOW TO REACH US
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