The Associated Press

February 3, 2020

AP announces US presidential primary coverage plans

The Associated Press will count the votes, report the results and deliver robust text, photo and live video coverage through the 2020 U.S. presidential primaries as Democrats choose their presidential nominee.

AP, the most trusted source of information on election night with a history of accuracy dating to 1848, will offer that expertise to its member news organizations, customers and the public across all platforms throughout the presidential primary season, which officially begins today with the Iowa caucuses and continues through June 2, when ballots are cast in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and the District of Columbia.

Thousands of news organizations in the U.S. and across the globe rely on AP to count the vote and call races. AP will tabulate votes in 2,730 races during the primary season, declaring winners in all contested elections.

AP announced last month that it would declare the winner of the Iowa caucuses based on state delegate equivalents. AP will not call a winner while the caucuses are underway.

The news agency will deploy AP VoteCast, the new standard survey of the American electorate trusted by major U.S. news organizations in their own coverage of election night, in early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Virginia, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Arizona, Florida and Illinois.

With journalists in all 50 states and political reporters based in key primary states, AP is uniquely positioned to tell the story of the campaign. Journalists on the ground take the pulse of voters daily and explain the issues that inform their decisions at the polls, ensuring AP’s coverage reflects the real debates happening in every region of the country.

AP’s politics team will also focus on the security of America’s voting systems, the impact of misinformation in the race, voter access, and race and gender, two issues that have roiled the Democratic primary.

AP will also provide more video coverage of the early primary states than ever before, with much of it centered on voters and key policy issues in the race.

Here are the highlights of AP’s primary coverage plans:

  • In Iowa, live and edited video and photos will be provided from inside caucus sites across the state as voters gather, as well as from candidate rallies as the results come in.
  • AP will offer daily photo and live video coverage from New Hampshire through Feb. 11. On primary day, live pictures from polling sites and candidate rallies will be provided, as well as AP photos.
  • Visual coverage of voters and candidates will continue throughout the primary season, with live and edited video and images of people voting and candidate rallies. 
  • Push alerts and breaking news banners will provide the latest news on apnews.com and the AP News app.
  • AP Global Media Services will serve an array of TV broadcasters by operating live stand-up positions throughout the primary season, beginning with Des Moines, Iowa, and Manchester, New Hampshire.

About AP
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP. On the web: www.ap.org

Contact
Lauren Easton