People wait in line to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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November 5, 2024

Confused about the most reliable sources to track as the election returns roll in on the evening of Nov. 5? We’re here to help.

News websites with results and analysis

The best and most unbiased information will come from traditional media sources.

The major broadcast and cable networks will have their own “decision desks” that sort through the raw results and determine when it’s appropriate to “call” a state for one candidate or the other — and when it’s not. These decision desks are staffed by experienced number crunchers with no partisan ax to grind.

Many major media outlets will devote entire sections of their websites to collecting real-time results. The big broadcast networks include ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC; their election night websites are usually extensive. (While Fox News’ commentators are generally aligned with Trump, its decision desk is widely considered to be as credible and independent as those at the other networks.) The Associated Press has its own race-calling operation that also supplies other media outlets, as does Decision Desk HQ.

Other major media outlets that should have detailed and trustworthy results and analysis include The New York Times, The Washington Post and Politico. Other news outlets to keep in the mix include NPR, PBS, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

A few news websites have launched useful pages for following the returns.

FiveThirtyEight: Benchmarks to estimate how well candidates need to do in each county

FiveThirtyEight: A guide to poll closing times, vote counting and races to watch in every state

Semafor: An hour-by-hour guide on how to watch the 2024 election like an expert

Trusted reporters and analysts on X

On X, a fast medium ideally suited to sharing data instantly, it’s informative to keep an eye on the bite-sized dispatches from political journalists and academics. People who want credible data and thoughtful analysis should focus primarily on ideologically neutral accounts on election night rather than getting swept up in cherry-picked information by partisans on one side or the other.

The following list includes a selection of politically oriented X accounts that have a track record of tweeting real-time, granular reports on election results, either nationally or in the states, and that are open-minded and ideologically neutral. It also includes accounts that offer reliable analysis of election administration.

Other journalists: Tim Alberta, The Atlantic (@TimAlberta), Ron Brownstein, The Atlantic and CNN (@RonBrownstein), Steve Kornacki, NBC (@SteveKornacki); Sahil Kapur, NBC News (@sahilkapur), John King, CNN (@JohnKingCNN); Harry Enten, CNN (@ForecasterEnten); Jennifer Epstein, Bloomberg (@jeneps), Sean Trende, RealClearPolitics (@SeanTrende), Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact and U.S. News & World Report (@loujacobson)

If election night turns into a question of legal battles, some good experts to follow on election law and administration are:

For deep dives into some of the battleground states, we include journalists, political scientists, and others who keep close track of voting patterns and election administration in their state:

Here’s a curated list of everyone we mentioned.

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Louis Jacobson
Louis Jacobson has been with PolitiFact since 2009, currently as chief correspondent. Previously, he served as senior correspondent and deputy editor. Before joining PolitiFact, he…
Louis Jacobson

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