Election results tell you who won and lost. AP VoteCast tells you why

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the dust settles from Monday’s first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, the returns will reveal who had Republican caucusgoers’ vote, but they won’t shed much light on the types of people who voted or what was on their minds as they cast their ballots. That’s where AP VoteCast comes in.

Launched in 2018, AP VoteCast is a comprehensive survey of both voters and nonvoters that aims to tell the story behind the election results. Conducted for The Associated Press and Fox News by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it’s a detailed snapshot of the American electorate that helps explain who voted, who didn’t vote, what issues they care about, how they feel about the candidates and why they voted the way they did.

It’s also a powerful resource that the AP analyzes, along with vote results and other election data, to help declare winners on election nights in contests across the country.

How does AP VoteCast work?

AP VoteCast uses a combination of methods — mail, phone and online interviews — to reach voters and capture their opinions about the candidates and the election regardless of whether they vote in-person on or before Election Day or by mail-in ballot.

What to know

• The details of how the caucuses work can surprise and mystify even hard-core political junkies. Your guide to Iowa.
• After months of campaigning, the Republican candidates vying to unseat President Joe Biden in November are facing their first formal test from voters.
• Why does Iowa launch the presidential campaign? Let’s go back to January of 1972.
• Donald Trump’s campaign is hoping to generate a commanding win in Iowa’s leadoff voting contest by attracting new caucusgoers. This is how an animated character named Marlon could help achieve