How the heck do they call elections so early?

[GoingUp]

How can they call elections early with something like only 16% of the vote in? I don't get it.

 

[reeserock]

I think they use a combo of the actual votes along with exit polls and make an assumption when the margin is large. They have been wrong in the past though.

 

[blackangst1]

Its called sensationalism.

 

[SSSnail]

Because if the remaining 84% of the counties have 40 people that live in them, they can pretty much make a very accurate mathematical deduction and announce a winnar.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: blackangst1
Its called sensationalism.

Don't be silly, it's right nearly all of the time. And there is a lot of science behind it, don't mock it just because you don't understand it.

 

[FoBoT]

statistics
they have a formula that gives them 99.65% probability before they call it
the input info is much more detailed than they give the public