NPR partners with Associated Press to call 2026 election races

NPR is partnering with the Associated Press (AP) to call races in the 2026 elections, which include 435 House races, 35 Senate races, 36 gubernatorial contests, ballot measures, and numerous state legislative seats, according to aspenpublicradio.org and kunc.org.

The Associated Press has been calling election races since 1848 and continues to use a detailed process involving race callers and analysts who focus on statewide and House races. Decision editors on AP's Decision Team approve every race call for president, U.S. Senate, governor, and significant House races.

AP's team studies incoming votes at the county level and, where available, examines vote types such as in-person, mail, or early voting. They maintain constant communication with the vote count team to assess how many ballots have been counted and how many remain.

Based on this data, AP evaluates the likelihood of a candidate's victory by considering factors such as the origin of outstanding ballots, community demographics, and voting methods. NPR then broadcasts these race calls to its audiences and member stations through special coverage and digital stories.