The TV projects a winner, but the county page says unofficial. Which result is final?
PoliticsThe television had a winner's banner. The county results page on my laptop said "unofficial." My uncle wanted to know why I was still reading it.
We were following a US election count. I wasn't disputing the broadcaster's projection; I was trying to understand whether it was the same kind of statement as the election authority's final result. Someone else in the room said the different labels proved nobody knew anything.
I'd like to explain the distinction before our next election-night gathering. I don't want to promise that an unfinished count will change the outcome, or suggest that a projection has no basis simply because it isn't certification. What should we look for when checking what stage a reported result has reached?
