Millions of Americans are making their way to the polls Tuesday for the 2024 presidential election, with the first results expected to be reported not long after polls close in some eastern states.
While official results often take a few weeks to certify, projections by news organizations are aided by exit polls, or surveys issued to voters as they leave their polling places.
Exit polls are conducted by the National Election Pool, which consists of major news organizations, including NBC, CNN, CBS and ABC. The body pools together resources to gather vote and exit poll data.
The NEP works with Edison Research, the sole provider of exit polls, to collect data until results are certified by all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
The extensive surveys also shed light into demographic voting patterns, with questions in exit poll surveys also asking voters which issues were the most important to them when they cast their ballot.
In addition to providing more context behind results as votes begin to be counted, exit polls also serve as the only survey measure of real voters. The polls are conducted at hundreds of polling places, according to NBC News.
Exit polls also include interviews with in-person early voters and telephone surveys of early and absentee voters.
Local
According to NBC News, approximately 4,000 interviewers are working with the network through the NEP to collect votes at both county and precinct levels and to conduct exit polls.
The polls come alongside the official vote count, which is facilitated by data reporters across the country reporting back raw vote totals on a county-by-county basis from the entire time polls are open.
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According to NBC News, this data is supplemented with state and county computer feeds when available.
To ensure accuracy, analysts inspect results and look for irregularities or inconsistencies with past voting behavior.
If data appears to be irregular, a "rigorous quality control process" begins to determine if the reported results were correct.
To project calls in individual races, NBC News utilizes exit poll data early on election night. Exit polls are examined throughout the evening, though precinct and county-level results determine calls as the night goes on if a race remains close.
