Since the 19th century, American media generally by tradition “project” the winner of the US election before the official count, which pitted former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris. During these presidential elections in the United States, which are being held this Tuesday, November 5THE official results will take days to be known. It is the electoral commissions which must certify the results. This work corresponds to election boards, and ultimately the Electoral College. He December 17 The electors of each state will come together and vote for president and vice president. On January 6, 2025, Congress will receive the electoral votes from each state and announce who will occupy the White House for the next four years. Finally, on January 20, 2025, the inauguration ceremony of the President of the United States at the White House.
Instead, know in advance the results of the presidential electionsthe media play an essential role in the electoral process with their “projections”, proclaim to the public the winner of the elections. Does this mean the media says who won? Is this something official?
Overtaking the winner is a tradition that dates back to the end of the 19th century.
Many factors come into play in US elections: There are different time zones and different rules.
In the late 19th century, the Associated Press news agency started this tradition. THE the press agency, through its delegations, projected all the data it had at the exit of the polls and the partial recount data.
Little by little, media screenings on election night became a tradition. Over the years, the media engaged in a race to see who could project the winner first. That’s when, in 2004, they made a mistake and projected the winner to Sen. John Kerry, then a senator from Massachusetts, who had run as the Democratic candidate. Instead, George W. Bush won. In 2000, many media outlets also presented Al Gore, the Democratic candidate, as the winner. Then President George W. Bush also won after weeks of uncertainty.
