Best election coverage sites

November 3, 2006 7:30 PM

What is/are the best site(s) to watch for up-to-date and accurate nationwide election returns this coming Tuesday?

I'd like to be able to keep an eye on the races across the country next Tuesday from work. My guess is that the major news sites will be covering exit polls most predominantly, but I wanted to know if there is anything out there that is nonpartisan and non-media oriented, perhaps something like a federal public information site that reports ballot counts as they occur? If not, what has proven best (on the net) for you MeFites historically to get accurate and up-to-date election results?

posted by tdischino to law & government (4 comments total)

Pretty much, no, there's nothing like that, since ballot counting is state-by-state. My default site will be the Hotline blog. They're nonpartisan and insidery.
posted by raf at 7:37 PM on November 3, 2006

FWIW, "There are no network/AP exit polls in House races on Election Day."
posted by winston at 8:31 PM on November 3, 2006

In theory, the websites of the various secretaries of state have the numbers first, but they usually don't stand up to the load.

This means that the AP usually has the best numbers, presumably because they just have tons of stringers hanging out everywhere, who see the numbers in person and report them.

Also, Drudge usually has anything that wouldn't be released by a a real journalist, like exit polls before the close of voting. Partisan but he does have good sources, sometimes.
posted by smackfu at 8:41 PM on November 3, 2006

What tends to happen is that precinct poll-watchers will call campaign HQs with numbers as soon as they're sent to the county boards, and the HQs will leak those numbers before they go official.

So it's going to be a case of working out, race by race, which source is getting the best updates. Your best one-stop shop might be somewhere like Daily Kos, regardless of your own leanings, where they're busily recruiting local livebloggers, who'll do the job of obsessively reloading the pertinent sites for their elections and posting any changes. The signal-noise ratio might be a bit too much for you, though.
posted by holgate at 2:45 AM on November 4, 2006