It happened in 2004, and it looks to be happening again tonight: the networks are declaring winners of states, and eventually of the election, based on trivial numbers.
Watching NBC at the moment, and they just scrolled through a dozen or so states where they happily declared a winner in the Presidential Election with zero percent of the votes reported!
Yes. That's right. ZERO percent.
So no votes have been reported, but there have been winners declared.
Sure, some of the dozen states they've declared have some reports. A great many have ONE PERCENT.
This is so stupid!
I know the information is being updated frequently, so I've copied a current look at the situation. It's so horrible that I'm about to give up on elections entirely.
My apologies for the loss of formatting, but I think the point is made. Sadly, the checkmarks have been also lost, so the winners can't be seen.
For anyone really interested, I've saved the HTML page as of a few minutes ago, and you can download the whole thing, images and all from this link.
This is from the MSNBC website, and I apologize if the link stops working, too, although technically that's not my fault.
The data tables below were last refreshed at 8:19 p.m., Tues., Nov. 4, 2008 | Refresh page
President
* Exit Polls
* Full Results
Candidate Popular vote % of votes Electoral votes
270 electoral votes needed to win | 12% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) 13,071,980 50% 175
John McCain (Rep) 12,980,534 49% 76
Alabama
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* Exit Polls
* County Results
Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 9 | 6% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 53,167 49%
Barack Obama (Dem) 54,649 50%
Alaska
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* County Results
Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Arizona
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* Exit Polls
* County Results
Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 10 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Arkansas
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 6 | 3% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 103,114 50%
Barack Obama (Dem) 99,610 48%
California
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 55 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Colorado
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 9 | 9% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) 143,891 51%
John McCain (Rep) 133,920 48%
Connecticut
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 7 | 25% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 242,177 64%
John McCain (Rep) 134,044 35%
Delaware
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 0% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 0 0%
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
District of Columbia
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 0% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 0 0%
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Florida
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 27 | 50% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) 2,867,881 51%
John McCain (Rep) 2,682,685 48%
Georgia
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 15 | 41% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 720,305 60%
Barack Obama (Dem) 477,160 40%
Bob Barr (Lib) 10,254 1%
Hawaii
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 4 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Idaho
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 4 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Illinois
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 21 | 9% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 273,660 63%
John McCain (Rep) 158,619 36%
Indiana
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 11 | 65% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 894,532 51%
Barack Obama (Dem) 855,019 48%
Iowa
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 7 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Kansas
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 6 | 1% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 15,369 59%
Barack Obama (Dem) 10,307 39%
Kentucky
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 8 | 67% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 621,411 55%
Barack Obama (Dem) 489,848 43%
Louisiana
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 9 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 44,526 61%
Barack Obama (Dem) 27,469 38%
Ron Paul (Ltp) 398 1%
Maine
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 4 | 4% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 16,814 66%
John McCain (Rep) 8,202 32%
Maryland
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 10 | 4% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 32,368 51%
John McCain (Rep) 30,110 47%
Massachusetts
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 12 | 26% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 471,664 62%
John McCain (Rep) 273,274 36%
Michigan
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 17 | 7% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 132,283 46%
John McCain (Rep) 151,261 52%
Minnesota
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 10 | 0% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 0 0%
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Mississippi
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 6 | 3% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 12,320 55%
Barack Obama (Dem) 9,758 44%
Missouri
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 11 | 3% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 63,960 51%
Barack Obama (Dem) 58,547 47%
Montana
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Ron Paul (Cst) 0 0%
Nebraska
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 5 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 6,466 62%
Barack Obama (Dem) 3,849 37%
Nevada
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 5 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
New Hampshire
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 4 | 20% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 90,240 56%
John McCain (Rep) 70,788 44%
New Jersey
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 15 | 20% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 455,808 56%
John McCain (Rep) 351,662 43%
New Mexico
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 5 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 57 89%
Barack Obama (Dem) 7 11%
New York
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 31 | 0% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 14,022 71%
John McCain (Rep) 5,618 28%
North Carolina
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 15 | 40% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) 1,341,422 52%
John McCain (Rep) 1,237,431 48%
North Dakota
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 2% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 1,841 59%
Barack Obama (Dem) 1,202 38%
Ohio
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 20 | 9% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) 713,302 57%
John McCain (Rep) 527,914 42%
Oklahoma
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 7 | 15% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 137,263 61%
Barack Obama (Dem) 87,265 39%
Oregon
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 7 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Pennsylvania
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 21 | 8% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 206,487 64%
John McCain (Rep) 109,613 34%
Rhode Island
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 4 | 1% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 2,828 59%
John McCain (Rep) 1,869 39%
South Carolina
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 8 | 34% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 309,655 57%
Barack Obama (Dem) 227,858 42%
South Dakota
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 7% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 8,944 50%
Barack Obama (Dem) 8,752 48%
Tennessee
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 11 | 23% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 690,985 59%
Barack Obama (Dem) 472,559 40%
Texas
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 34 | 4% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 2,306,589 52%
Barack Obama (Dem) 2,115,938 48%
Utah
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 5 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
Vermont
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 20% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 53,889 66%
John McCain (Rep) 26,807 33%
Virginia
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 13 | 67% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 1,049,451 50%
Barack Obama (Dem) 1,031,789 49%
Washington
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 11 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Barack Obama (Dem) 0 0%
West Virginia
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 5 | 20% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) 81,146 52%
Barack Obama (Dem) 71,516 46%
Wisconsin
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 10 | 0% of precincts reporting
Barack Obama (Dem) checkmark 0 0%
John McCain (Rep) 0 0%
Wyoming
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Candidate Votes % of votes
Electoral votes: 3 | 0% of precincts reporting
John McCain (Rep) checkmark 651 65%
Barack Obama (Dem) 329 33%
Results are based on NBC News projections and unofficial returns, and are updated frequently. Refresh your browser to see the latest results. Candidates listed in bold indicate projected winner. Candidates marked with an asterisk indicate incumbent. “Current” refers to the balance of power in the outgoing Congress. “New” refers to the projected balance of power in the incoming Congress. “Holdover” refers to the U.S. Senate seats not up for election in 2008. To learn more about how NBC News projects winners and how to read NBC’s exit polls, click here. To learn more about electoral votes and how they are apportioned, click here.