> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://votes-docs.decisiondeskhq.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://votes-docs.decisiondeskhq.com/frequently-asked-questions-faq.md).

# Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

## About Decision Desk HQ

<details>

<summary>Why should I choose Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ)?</summary>

Decision Desk HQ is the fastest, most reliable, and most transparent source for election data. We cover every election in the country — from local bond initiatives to presidential elections — no matter how local. DDHQ has an archive of county-level election results back to the year 2000, the deepest archive commercially available.

Additionally, DDHQ APIs are optimized for financial services use. In addition to speed of delivery, DDHQ provides point-in-time "Vote Drop" data optimized to help analysts back-test models and follow elections at the most granular level possible.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What businesses and news organizations trust Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ)?</summary>

We've partnered with NewsNation/The Hill, Ballotpedia, The 19th News, Robinhood and dozens of other local and regional news websites. Independent news organizations and streamers use our Election View System to provide quality coverage to their viewers. Our election API received more than 14 billion requests on election night 2024, and DDHQ interactive graphics received over 17 million views across all election night partners.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How fast does Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) project elections compared to other outlets?</summary>

Decision Desk HQ race projections are based on statistical modeling, prioritizing accuracy over speed while delivering projections quickly enough to meet the demands of live news coverage and business solutions. In terms of speed, we were first to project the winner of the:

* [2016 Presidential election](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/796229649344954368)
* [2020 Presidential election](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1324710866516905984)
* 2022 Congressional elections ([Senate](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1591616622510280704) and [House](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1592657104476962817))
* [2024 Presidential election](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1854046415372296440)

In the 2026 cycle, DDHQ projections consistently beat the Associated Press 79% of the time, by an average of 24 minutes and a median of 18 minutes.

DDHQ has a history of collecting results faster than its industry peers. While we do not share this data publicly, reach out and ask and we will share on a case-by-case basis.

</details>

## Election Results Data

<details>

<summary>Where are Decision Desk HQ's (DDHQ) election results data sourced from?</summary>

Decision Desk HQ data comes from an official state source. These sources are almost always the Secretary of State or the Department of Elections.

Decision Desk HQ election data is not modeled or imputed.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is the election data independently collected?</summary>

Yes. Decision Desk HQ collects results independently rather than reselling a single wire feed.

Our reporting workflow combines three coordinated methods:

* **Automated data collection** — scripts run by developers alongside QA specialists at prescribed intervals.
* **Remote monitoring** — reporters assigned specific geographies, collecting from official websites, emails, and faxes.
* **In-person collection** — reporters assigned to specific geographies in person, uploading results via a proprietary web app.

Roughly 80% of all votes are processed via scraping or manual monitoring. 43 states allow for automated data collection and 41 states are mostly collected through automated processes.

Preparation to report on a race begins up to 12 months before election day.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How is the data ingested and de-duplicated?</summary>

All three collection methods feed Decision Desk HQ's Results Management Platform, designed to ingest the sources simultaneously, with checks in place to avoid double-counting or publishing "stale" data.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What states does Decision Desk HQ get live election results from?</summary>

Decision Desk HQ has election results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does Decision Desk HQ collect election data internationally?</summary>

Yes. Decision Desk HQ collects international election results on request.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How extensive is Decision Desk HQ's election archive?</summary>

Decision Desk HQ offers the most complete commercially available election data archive, with county-level results as early as 2000 and precinct-level results back to 2020.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where do you get your early and absentee data from, and why is it different from what the state is showing?</summary>

All of DDHQ's early vote and absentee data is cross-referenced with a voter file. In the process, we may get differing counts/totals and/or lagged reporting compared with the official state site.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Are Decision Desk HQ methodologies published?</summary>

Yes. Decision Desk HQ values trust and transparency above all: we publish our methodologies, speak on the record about our projections, and keep cameras in our command center. Documentation for the API, embeds, and the Votes dashboard is provided to clients.

Our published methodologies are available here:

* [Polling Methodology](/polling-methodology.md)
* [2026 Congressional Forecast Methodology](/forecast-methodology/2026-congressional-forecast-methodology.md)
* [2026 Governor Forecast Methodology](/forecast-methodology/2026-governor-forecast-methodology.md)

</details>

<details>

<summary>Has Decision Desk HQ ever retracted a race projection?</summary>

Yes, and Decision Desk HQ publishes the list. A projection requires greater than 99.9999% confidence. Retractions are rare but do occur. When DDHQ retracts, it's done so publicly, through the same channels the projections were published — and every DDHQ retraction below links to our own statement, in our own words, at the time.

Since our founding, DDHQ has retracted four projections in federal or state-wide races:

* **MI presidential primary, 2016** — DDHQ projected Hillary Clinton; Bernie Sanders won, and DDHQ retracted and apologized the same night.
* **CA-21, 2018 general** — DDHQ and the Associated Press both projected David Valadao; T.J. Cox went on to win by 862 votes.
* **MO-1, 2020 Democratic primary** — mail-in ballots shifted the outcome to Cori Bush.
* **NJ-11, 2026 Democratic special primary** — DDHQ projected Tom Malinowski; Analilia Mejia overtook him on late Morris County returns.

DDHQ also retracted its projection in the 2025 Seattle mayoral race — one DDHQ competitor never projected it at all, because it is among the tens of thousands of contests only DDHQ covers.

Retractions are not unique to DDHQ. Nine retractions in national races have been publicly documented since 2016. The Associated Press accounts for six, DDHQ accounts for four, and CA-21 is the one shared:

| Race                            | Retracted by | Sources                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------------- | ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| MI presidential primary, 2016   | DDHQ         | [DDHQ on X](https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/707417584195350528)                                                                                                                 |
| CA-21, 2018 general             | DDHQ and AP  | [PBS/AP](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-the-ap-calls-races-and-what-to-expect-on-election-night) · [DDHQ](https://decisiondeskhq.substack.com/p/race-call-retraction-in-ca-21) |
| MO-1, 2020 primary              | DDHQ         | [DDHQ on X](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1290860670083313664)                                                                                                                      |
| NJ-11, 2026 special primary     | DDHQ         | [DDHQ on X](https://x.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/2019614645569372665)                                                                                                                      |
| TX-23, 2018 general             | AP           | [Spectrum News SA](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/san-antonio/news/2018/11/07/ap-withdraws-hurd-call-in-texas-us-house-race)                                                            |
| NC-9, 2018 general              | AP           | [AP](https://apnews.com/article/16671b61ebc24e51afe63372d39f7bd4)                                                                                                                         |
| GA-7, 2020 primary              | AP           | [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/paloma/the-trailer/2020/06/11/the-trailer-how-politicians-could-exploit-a-slow-vote-count/5ee10ad0602ff12947e8974a/)            |
| GA-13, 2020 primary             | AP           | [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/paloma/the-trailer/2020/06/11/the-trailer-how-politicians-could-exploit-a-slow-vote-count/5ee10ad0602ff12947e8974a/)            |
| CA Senate special primary, 2022 | AP           | [@AP\_RaceCalls](https://x.com/AP_RaceCalls/status/1534379539857559552)                                                                                                                   |

We are not a provider that never misses. DDHQ is the provider who covers every contest, projects it faster, corrects transparently, and hands you the receipts instead of hoping you don't ask.

</details>

## Polling

<details>

<summary>What kinds of polls does Decision Desk HQ collect?</summary>

Decision Desk HQ has a team of people who seek out and collect all publicly available polls that have political questions. Each poll is sourced to the original sponsor and we collect the associated poll memo, cross-tabs and top-lines where available. Polls must meet the minimum disclosure standards as laid out by The American Association for Public Opinion Research.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How many poll averages does Decision Desk HQ collect, and does DDHQ collect cross-tabs?</summary>

The number of poll averages we have varies and will only increase as we get closer to an election. Generally speaking, to create an average, we would prefer to have at least three and potentially up to ten polls to construct an average from, with variations based on the frequency of those polls. We can create averages for candidates, campaigns and issues.

For major national averages such as candidate approval, presidential approval and select policy issues, we will calculate averages for sub-cohorts such as ethnicity and gender.

See [Polling Methodology](/polling-methodology.md) for the full details.

</details>

## Forecast, Pulse & Prediction Markets

<details>

<summary>How do the Forecast and Election Pulse work?</summary>

A race projection requires a confidence level greater than 99.9%. Many financial services use cases can act on lower confidence earlier. The Decision Desk HQ Forecast (pre-election) and Election Pulse (election-night live forecast) quantify the probability of each race outcome at any point in time. The Pulse begins from the pre-election forecast and adjusts continuously based on reported vote patterns and the characteristics of the remaining uncounted ballots.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How accurate is the Decision Desk HQ forecast, and how does it work?</summary>

The Decision Desk HQ forecast is based on a calibrated combination of past election results, race-level polling, markets, and the national environment. When predicting the likely outcome for a given race, it considers how Democrats and Republicans have fared there in the past, how the candidates are polling, and how the national environment has shifted since the previous election.

While the forecast has evolved over the years, it has been repeatedly submitted for academic peer review:

* DDHQ's 2020 Presidential and Congressional forecast was accepted into the [Harvard Data Science Review in the fall of 2020](https://hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/gach7e59/release/3).
* In 2022, DDHQ published a paper on how turnout is modeled during a live election in the [Harvard Data Science Review in the fall of 2022](https://hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/ftwzgrij/release/4).
* Most recently, DDHQ published a paper on how to model the eventual winner of an election with live election data in the [Harvard Data Science Review in the fall of 2024](https://hdsr.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/zr6hjsfl/release/1).

In 2024, the [New York Times identified Decision Desk HQ's forecast](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/23/us/elections/election-forecasts-predictions.html) as correctly projecting the winner in 6 of 7 swing states, that Republicans would win control of both chambers of Congress, and correctly forecasting Donald Trump the winner of the Presidency. DDHQ's forecast was more accurate than the forecasts from Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin, FiveThirtyEight and The Economist.

See [2026 Congressional Forecast Methodology](/forecast-methodology/2026-congressional-forecast-methodology.md) and [2026 Governor Forecast Methodology](/forecast-methodology/2026-governor-forecast-methodology.md) for the full details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>The 2026 forecast utilizes prediction market data. Where is it sourced from, and is DDHQ compensated or sponsored for using that data in its forecast?</summary>

Market probabilities are sourced from Polymarket and Kalshi exchanges. DDHQ is not paid or sponsored by Polymarket or Kalshi to use prediction market data in its forecast.

</details>

## Using Votes

<details>

<summary>How many races can I follow at once?</summary>

Free users of Votes can create one watchlist that includes up to 5 races. Votes Pro subscribers can create and follow an unlimited number of races.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I add races to or remove races from a watchlist?</summary>

To add a race to your watchlist, click the star icon located across from a race title and then select the watchlist you'd like to add the race to.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I manage all of my alerts at once?</summary>

In your profile, you'll find a section called 'My Alerts' where you can manage all of the alerts you've signed up for.

Step 1: Go to your account icon in the upper right corner of your screen

<figure><img src="https://967297190-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMovfSJsDCRKm9OPMwjSd%2Fuploads%2F3HcLGk4NB8J8RlrJUg0J%2FScreenshot_cleaned.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ba428adb-ba3c-428e-9434-2bf9dcff1846" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Step 2: Select the alerts you have in your menu

<figure><img src="https://967297190-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FMovfSJsDCRKm9OPMwjSd%2Fuploads%2Fu5WfdL5n7mbcbE4fEBbz%2FScreenshot%202026-02-26%20at%202.35.23%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=06976fc0-8f68-4f90-badf-a26a7b7d4a00" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How many races can I download?</summary>

10 per day

</details>

<details>

<summary>How far back does your race archive go?</summary>

Our race archive dates back to 2000 and in some states even further back. Free Votes users can only access races back to 2020.

</details>

## Votes Pro

<details>

<summary>How long is my Votes Pro subscription good for?</summary>

December 31, 2026. We'll have information on renewal options after the elections in November.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What's Decision View?</summary>

Decision View is a unique feature of Votes Pro that enables you to customize your election night viewing experience. You can pick the races and data points you want to track on one screen so you don't have to click between individual race pages in Votes. Never miss an important vote drop, prediction market movement, or race projection because you were on a different screen.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is Vote Drop History?</summary>

It's not enough to know that the overall vote totals have changed — you need to know where the latest votes came from and which candidate benefited or was hurt by them. With Vote Drop History, you can spot trends or know when a race is close to being projected because you have the most up-to-date and granular understanding of the vote count.

</details>

## Votes Broadcast

<details>

<summary>What is Votes Broadcast?</summary>

Votes Broadcast is a version of Votes optimized for streamers and broadcast television. It has all the same functionality and election data as Votes but in a format designed to be used on-stream or on-air by a host or anchor. The maps, candidate photos, graphs and visuals are designed to be shown on-stream as a "shared screen," or used in a studio setting as a touchscreen application. Reach out to <votes@decisiondeskhq.com> if you want to discuss licensing.

</details>

## Account & Privacy

<details>

<summary>Do you share my data with 3rd parties?</summary>

We do not sell your Personal Information and will not do so in the future without providing you with notice and an opportunity exercise your rights under applicable law.

</details>

## Support & Feedback

<details>

<summary>I've encountered an error or bug. Who can I contact to fix it?</summary>

Good catch. We would appreciate it if you could reach out to <votes@decisiondeskhq.com> and describe the error you encountered.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I request new features?</summary>

We would love that! If you have ideas for improving this platform, please email <votes@decisiondeskhq.com> with specific details on what you want to see.

</details>

<details>

<summary>DDHQ seems like an amazing place to work — can I work with you?</summary>

We have a variety of seasonal opportunities and are always looking for the best talent. Find out more here: <https://www.decisiondeskhq.com/careers>

</details>