Votecastr
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Election forecasting, data analytics |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Ken Smukler, Sasha Issenberg, Trevor Cornwell |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Ken Smukler, Sasha Issenberg, Trevor Cornwell |
| Products | Real-time election result monitoring and forecasting |
Votecastr is a privately held firm established in 2016 with the purpose of monitoring, forecasting, and disseminating live election results during the November 8, 2016 United States presidential race.
On September 10, 2016, Votecastr gained attention in The New York Times when it revealed its collaboration with Slate.com to deliver real-time election data on Election Day. Co-founder Sasha Issenberg detailed the company's approach for Election Day in an article published on Slate.com.
Background
During the 1980 U.S. Presidential Election, NBC News made an early forecast declaring Reagan the winner at 8:15 pm EST based on exit polls before voting had concluded on the West Coast, catching other broadcasters off guard. Carter conceded at 9:50 pm EST.
Following this event, media organizations implemented what Sasha Issenberg describes as a "self-imposed gag order" limiting early election result announcements:
Concerns arose from networks’ premature calls leading to a congressional investigation about possible effects on voter turnout in the West Coast. Although minimal evidence existed that NBC’s early projection altered voting behavior, networks collectively agreed to refrain from using exit polls for projections until polls closed statewide. This agreement was adopted by other news outlets, establishing an informal embargo on live election data throughout Election Day. This tradition continues under the assumption that voters should not have access to immediate information.
2016 Election
At 6:30 PM, Votecastr's forecasts correctly anticipated victories for Donald Trump in Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as for Hillary Clinton in Colorado, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Nevertheless, it failed to predict Trump's wins in Florida and Wisconsin.
Co-Founders
Per information from their website, Votecastr was created by:
- Ken Smukler, Entrepreneur
- Sasha Issenberg, Journalist
- Trevor Cornwell, Entrepreneur
Partners
Affiliated partners include:
- InfoVoter Technologies
- appbackr
- Haystaq DNA
- General Industries Network