Voter News Service

The Voter News Service (VNS) was a data collection and analysis service intended to aid in the reporting of exit poll numbers during national elections. The consortium was created by ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, and the Associated Press under the direction of Murray Edelman. The main mission of the VNS was to provide rapid delivery of exit polling numbers to media outlets. In 2000, the VNS had difficulty in providing accurate information for the presidential election, particularly in the state of Florida. This led to inaccurate exit polling reports and confusion about which candidate had secured a win in Florida. As reports continued to flip-flop, the American public was unsure of who won the presidency until after several days had ...