How AP VoteCast works, and how it’s different from an exit poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to understanding elections, it’s not just about who won and lost. To explain what really happened, it’s important to understand who voted and how, what they cared about and how they felt about important issues facing the country.

At The Associated Press, AP VoteCast is a key part of answering those questions, explaining the voting coalitions that elected the president, determined congressional control and decided state-level ballot measures.

Launched in 2018, AP VoteCast is an extensive survey of both voters and nonvoters that aims to tell the story behind election results. Conducted for the AP 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 — or didn’t vote at all.

What is an exit poll and how does it differ from AP VoteCast?

Although it serves a similar purpose, AP VoteCast is not an exit poll.

Traditional exit polls, including the one conducted by a consortium of news networks in the United States, rely largely on in-person interviews with voters conducted outside of select polling places after they’ve voted, supplemented with a phone survey to reach mail-in voters. Before AP VoteCast the AP worked with other major news organizations to conduct Election Day exit polls.

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