U.S. News Outlets Prepare to Call 2026 Midterm Winners

U.S. news organizations are preparing to call winners for the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday night, with projections beginning in Indiana and Kentucky at 6 p.m. ET. Most networks and digital outlets rely on two primary data providers: the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ.

The Associated Press will deploy more than 4,000 reporters to verify results. Outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and MS NOW will rely solely on these calls. In contrast, Fox News and CBS News will combine AP data with exit polls and proprietary statistical modeling to make independent projections for statewide races and control of the House and Senate. The New York Times will use AP calls for most contests but will independently review competitive races using its Needle model.

Decision Desk HQ utilizes automated software to pull data from official state sources for clients including Newsmax and X. Final projections from the firm require unanimous team agreement and the approval of head of data science Scott Tranter. These preparations occur as public trust in election reporting remains low, with only 32% of Americans reporting high confidence in news organizations.