The Des Moines Register is your go-to Election Day news source: Here's our coverage plan.

All told, 44 journalists from the Des Moines Register, Ames Tribune and Iowa City Press-Citizen will work Election Day, into Wednesday morning and beyond to provide comprehensive coverage and analysis of the results of the 2024 elections.

That includes 24 reporters who will fan out to Republican and Democratic watch parties or monitor the secretary of state’s and county auditor websites to report out results as soon as they are available. Seven staffers will shoot photos and video of voting and victory and concession speeches for the three newspapers’ websites, social media and print editions.

Here’s a quick look at the coverage you’ll see on Election Day and through the rest of the week:

Providing news updates

From the moment polls open at 7 a.m., a live updates file will provide need-to-know information as you head out to vote, will showcase photos and video of voting across Iowa and will keep you abreast of any hiccups at the polls. DesMoinesRegister.com is your best source for the latest Iowa and national election news, on whatever digital device you prefer. Download the Register’s app and enable push alerts for notifications as news happens. And follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok to see videos and get updates from our journalists across the state.

Investigating voting irregularities

Let our reporters know if you run into difficulties while voting, such as encountering exceedingly long lines or believing you were unfairly challenged about your right to vote or wrongly turned away from voting. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., contact investigative reporter Tyler Jett, [email protected]; 515-284-821; or on X, @LetsJett. He also accepts encrypted messages at [email protected]. After 3 p.m., contact Reader’s Watchdog Lee Rood, [email protected]; 515-284-8549; on X, @leerood; or on Facebook, Facebook.com/readerswatchdog. Please include your name and contact information so they can get back to you. (The Iowa secretary of state also has an election security tip line on its website, or you can call 1-888-SOS-VOTE.)

Reporting results

A smattering of results will be available soon after the polls close at 8 p.m., and they typically become a flood in the next couple of hours. We’ll provide results from the presidential race nationally and in Iowa; the four Iowa congressional races; state Senate and House races; constitutional amendments; judicial retention votes; and county and township races and bond referendums. But remember: Results are unofficial until canvasses certify them.

Calling races

Neither the Register nor any other USA TODAY Network news organization calls state and federal race winners. We depend on the Associated Press news cooperative, which has been declaring election winners in America since 1848, to make those calls. Using historical results, survey research and computer programs, AP sometimes calls races moments after the polls close. But AP also is often more conservative in its calls than other media, including Iowa TV stations. The AP calls races only when an opponent no longer has a path to victory. AP doesn’t make calls for county and local races in Iowa. The Register usually waits until 100% of precincts are in before reporting those winners. Or, we hold to AP’s standard of no path to victory for a rival.

Producing the print 'election edition'

Our press deadlines do not allow publication of results in Wednesday’s edition. But we’ll deliver comprehensive coverage on Thursday, adding 12 pages for election coverage. We will continue the Register’s longstanding tradition of publishing results of how each Iowa county voted in the four congressional districts and how all 99 counties voted in the presidential race. Timing hinges on when AP moves those tables, but we hope to provide those Thursday as well.

Analyzing the results

Starting Tuesday evening and through the remainder of the week, our political reporters and our data analyst will pore over results down to the precinct level to analyze how key races were won and how the results could shape policy and life in Iowa for years to come.

Carol Hunter is the Register’s executive editor. She wants to hear your questions, story ideas or concerns at 515-284-8545, [email protected], or on Twitter: @carolhunter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Election Day coverage: What to expect from the Des Moines Register