It has been a long tradition for US television networks to call projected winners on election night as results trickle in – but the unique circumstances of 2020 are likely to create numerous challenges to that practice.
In preparing for election night, some top US television news executives see a cautionary tale in a notorious November evening two decades ago.
After major networks projected Al Gore the winner in the crucial state of Florida, they pivoted in the wee hours to calling his Republican rival George W Bush the next president. The margin was so slim, Gore conceded, then took it back an hour later. The election wouldn’t be decided for more than a month. The only loss that night was the networks’ credibility.
“Decision desks” set up by media outlets to project winners of each state, which will determine the presidential race, are gearing up for a complicated election night amid uncertain timing for counting of mail-in and absentee ballots and fears about premature claims of victory.
More than 60m Americans has voted by mail. More than half of all mail-in ballots have come from Democrats, according to data from states like Florida, North Carolina and New Mexico where people register by party affiliation. Less than a quarter have been Republican.❐
