Editorial Standards
The principles that govern what we publish and how.
Nonpartisanship
Decision Labs favors no party, candidate, or cause. We publish data and the methods behind it; we do not endorse, advocate, or tell anyone how to vote. Competitive races of every partisan lean are held to the same evidentiary bar, and our race ratings (“Lean R,” “Likely D,” and so on) are descriptive summaries of the available evidence, not preferences.
How we report results and race calls
We do not call elections ourselves. When we mark a race decided, we are reporting that a named news organization called it — for example, “The Associated Press and NBC News called this race” — and we link to that source. A race is shown as decided only when at least two independent, authoritative sources agree (two outlets republishing the same wire call count as one). Vote totals and margins come from official state results; until a state certifies, we label numbers as unofficial. Where a result is contested, headed to a runoff, or simply too close, we say so rather than guess.
Retractions & premature calls
Because we report others' calls, our record follows theirs. If a news organization retracts or reverses a call, or a race we showed as decided is later thrown into doubt (a recount, a contest, or a premature call), we revert the result on the site, mark it unresolved, and record the change — with the date and reason — on our corrections page.
Sourcing
Our data comes from public, attributable sources: state election authorities for results, established polling firms and aggregators for surveys, and recognized decision desks (AP, Decision Desk HQ, and major networks) for calls. Every poll links back to the pollster's release. We prefer primary sources and name them.
Language
We aim for plain, neutral language and avoid sensational framing. A lead is a lead, not a “crushing” one; a close race is close, not a “shock.” Polling is reported with its uncertainty, and an average of polls is not a prediction of the outcome.
Methodology & transparency
Our polling-average method is published in full, with every weight and parameter, on the methodology page. We'd rather you verify our numbers than take them on faith.
Independence & accountability
Decision Labs is independent and ad-free, with no ad-tracking and no paywalls. We use only privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics — see our privacy note. When we get something wrong, we fix it and record it on our corrections page. To flag an error or ask about our data, use contact.