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EXPLAINER: How the AP counts the vote on election night

FILE - A "voter" flag waves in the wind near a ballot drop box outside of the Mason County auditors office on Oct. 13, 2022, in Shelton, Wash. The U.S. does not have a singular entity that tells the nation who is won an election right away. Every state has its own process for counting votes, and news organizations play a key role. The Associated Press is the only news organization in the world that does all of the nation's vote-counting math on election night. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File) FILE - Cornelius Whiting fills out his ballot at an early voting location in Alexandria, Va., on Sept. 26, 2022. The U.S. does not have a singular entity that tells the nation who is won an election right away. Every state has its own process for counting votes, and news organizations play a key role. The Associated Press is the only news organization in the world that does all of the nation's vote-counting math on election night. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
EXPLAINER: How the AP counts the vote on election night