About
What We Do
DecisionDesk tracks and grades the speed of election race calls across the three major decision desks — VoteHub, Decision Desk HQ, and the Associated Press.
Every time a political race is called, we record the exact timestamp from each desk and compare. We track which desk calls each race first and how long the others take to follow.
Why It Matters
Race calls drive the news cycle. Networks, campaigns, and voters all react to who gets called first. But not all calls are created equal — calling a safe seat fast is table stakes. The real test is competitive and toss-up races where the outcome is genuinely uncertain.
We weight our grades accordingly, putting the most emphasis on the races that matter most.
The Desks
VoteHub
Election data and race call platform. Known for speed and algorithmic modeling.
Decision Desk HQ
Independent election results and race call service. Used by major media outlets.
Associated Press
The gold standard in election reporting. Most conservative in calling races, prioritizing certainty.
Data
Data is collected and updated nightly. All times are measured from poll close to the moment a desk publicly announces a race call. Currently tracking 487 race calls across state, congressional, senate, and primary races.