PBS Election 2012 - Trusted. In-Depth. Independent : PBS

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Obama extends olive branch

President Obama reached across the aisle and pledged to work with Republicans after his narrow re-election, and said he recognized he and Congress were elected to focus on "your jobs, not ours." Reach NewsHour's recap of the presidential results.

RELATED: Watch President Obama's victory speech.

RELATED: Watch Mitt Romney's concession

Congress: Largely unchanged

Democrats made modest gains in the House and some high-profile Senate seats - but Washington's dynamic is largely unchanged, with a Democratic president and Senate, and conservative Republicans firmly in control of the House.

Historic ballot wins for marijuana, same-sex marriage

Voters in different states approved historic ballot measures allowing marijuana use in Colorado, and same-sex marriage in several states. Read a roundup of crucial state votes.

Big Sky, Big Money

The Citizens United decision created a new world in which outside groups can fund political ads with little disclosure and no limits - and Montana has become a surprising battleground. FRONTLINE's "Big Sky, Big Money" looks at the fight.

Targeting the electorate

Digital tools gives campaigns new tools for old practices like canvassing - even targeting those who don't watch TV and have dumped their landline phone. Watch Part 2 of "Targeting the Electorate," a collaboration among FRONTLINE, Marketplace, ProPublica and NewsHour.

RELATED: How campaigns amass information about voters

RELATED: Five sets of numbers caught Gwen Ifill's eyes as the election approaches

Local election coverage

Many PBS stations are providing extensive coverage of state and local elections. An interactive map provides a directory of the coverage.

California proposition guide

As usual, California voters face a bewildering array of ballot initiatives - dueling proposals for tax increases, limits on campaign contributions, labeling of genetically modified foods - nearly a dozen in all. Check out KQED's proposition guide for a recap.

The Choice: 2012

Who are President Obama and Mitt Romney? FRONTLINE's awarding-winning team spent more than a year crafting in-depth biographies of the two candidates. Watch them now, or examine original documents and full-length interviews that were used in the profiles.

ALSO: PBS' election special Money and Medicine looks at health-care spending's impact on the budget

Race 2012: The politics of demographic change

The Census shows the American electorate has changed dramatically over the past quarter-center - from 80% white to more than one-third from other backgrounds today. What impact does that change have on the election? Race 2012, airing this week, is a provocative conversation that explores racial demographics and the election.

RELATED: More about Race 2012

Public media election resources

NewsHour's Map Center

NewsHour's political calendar

NPR's politics section

Public media coverage of prior elections:

Vote 2008

Election 2004

Election 2000

ABOUT THIS PAGE

The PBS Election 2012 microsite is now archived. It presented a curated selection of PBS and other public media content throughout the 2012 election, but is no longer being updated. For current political and other public-affairs news, please visit PBS NewsHour or one of our other partner sites listed below.

NewsHour's Map Center shows live results and demographics

PBS NewsHour and Amara are working to translate important election discussions

Washington Week's Political Landscape features local public stations' reporting on the election in their state

Washington Week's Voice of the Voters features reports from university students about the young electorate

North American Public Telecommunications is accepting grant proposals for Native American projects related to the election