The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.

Why this role matters:
The Associated Press seeks a curious, collaborative and data-savvy journalist who is passionate about American politics and U.S. elections to join its Elections News team as an explanatory reporter. This role will focus on analyzing data and explaining the details behind the elections results and race calls that AP delivers as part of our unique role in American democracy. In this role, you will also collaborate with AP U.S. News and Washington News teams, among others, to produce insights and analysis of our elections data and research in support of AP’s broader coverage of American government.

This reporter will play an essential role in helping our customers and audiences understand not just who AP declares as winners of elections, but the how and why of those victories, pulling back the curtain on the electoral process and the broader implications of Election Day outcomes.

This role is covered by the News Media Guild and is based in Washington, D.C.

What you will do:

• Reporting to the Elections News Editor, you will work on a team with other reporters, analysts, data visualization developers and designers to produce data analysis and storytelling about elections and their results, explaining the facts and information our Decision Team uses to declare winners in U.S. elections.
• In partnership with other members of the AP Elections team, you will explore, clean, validate, analyze and report on the data behind election results and research that AP collects, maintains and delivers.
• You will write clearly and authoritatively about elections data and politics for a broad audience, explaining the results and research in an approachable and accessible way.
• As an elections subject matter expert, you will collaborate with other reporters and editors on stories that might benefit from the Elections team’s data and research. You will be a key partner for the rest of the newsroom, connecting colleagues with the repositories of data we maintain and delivering analysis to support stories that intersect with elections.
• You will write contextual text for the election results graphics we produce for customers and AP’s direct audiences. Additionally, you will be a resource for our visual teams, providing subject matter expertise and editorial feedback to ensure clarity and accuracy for the visuals we produce.
• You will contribute storytelling across a variety of formats: text, photo, video, data, graphics and interactives, live blogs, social media and more. You will collaborate with journalists who work in different mediums, experimenting with formats to connect with new audiences and expand the reach of our journalism.
• Your reporting and analysis will be done with methodological rigor, upholding AP standards for integrity and fact-based, nonpartisan journalism.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in journalism, such as at least two years of full-time experience at a daily newspaper, broadcast station, online or digital news outlet, or an AP bureau or regional desk.
• Experience using tools such as Excel and programming languages such as Python, R, or SQL, to clean, explore and analyze data for storytelling.
• Demonstrated ability to clearly articulate and explain data to a broad audience.
• All applicants must be able to work in the U.S. or be able to gain permission to do so. 
• The ability and willingness to work at night and on weekends as AP is a 24/7 operation and polls almost always close after the end of the business day.
• Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English. Professional competency in a language besides English is a plus. 

What will set you apart:

We are seeking someone with an interest and background in covering the ins-and-outs of U.S. elections. You understand the importance of transparency in the electoral process, and are eager to use your analysis and storytelling skills to report on AP’s effort to count the vote and declare winners.

A successful candidate will have demonstrated experience producing data analysis for stories on a deadline. You are comfortable working with a diverse set of data sources in a fast-paced, high-pressure news environment. Familiarity with AP Elections data and our products is a plus, as well as experience with visualization tools like Datawrapper or building data apps and notebooks with tools like Shiny or Jupyter.

You thrive in a team environment and are excited to collaborate and learn from others. You keep audience top of mind in your coverage, and you’re interested in experimenting with format to expand reach. Experience with alternative formats and off-platform storytelling (i.e. social video, newsletters, graphics, podcasts, etc.) is a plus. 

Why join us:

• A mission-driven, inclusive environment focused on both individual and collective success.
• Opportunities for professional development to help you reach your career goals.
• Access to tools, mentorship, and resources tailored to elevate your proficiency and contributions. 

Salary & Benefits: 

This position is covered by The Associated Press’ contract with the News Media Guild, which provides for a minimum annual salary for Class A staff of between $53,477 and $85,214 based on location and years of professional experience. Additional compensation is negotiable based on a job candidate’s skills, qualifications and market location. The anticipated salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000. Employees are eligible to participate, according to the terms of the official plan documents, in a 401(k) plan and employer-sponsored health insurance plan and are eligible for paid time off and holidays in accordance with AP policy. The Associated Press offers comprehensive benefits, which include:  

• Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage  
• Retirement benefits
• Company paid life insurance
• Paid vacation and sick days
• Paid parental leave for any new parent
• Mental well-being resources   

Application deadline is June 11, 2026, at 11:59p.m. ET.

AP seeks to build an inclusive organization grounded in respect for differences. We support all aspects of diversity and provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a veteran, or other characteristic protected by law.