Watch this video to learn a bit more about polls to see how they can be right...or wrong.
Khan Academy. (2018, July 26). Why polls can be wrong. YouTube. https://youtu.be/DVKY9alKYtc?si=R_AJLpQqH9KLpHfb
Websites that collect polls from around the country and combine them or compare them can sometimes provide a clearer picture of opinions.
Links for some examples of poll aggregators are available below.
How this works: FiveThirtyEight’s pollster ratings are calculated by analyzing the historical accuracy of each firm’s polls along with its methodology. Accuracy scores are adjusted for the type of election polled, the poll’s sample size, the performance of other polls surveying the same race, and other factors. We also calculate measures of statistical bias in the polls. (UPDATED MAY 19, 2020)
Chapter 5 in the ebook Votes of Confidence has information about polling.
Quinnipiac University Poll regularly surveys residents in 12 states. Polls are also taken nationwide about political races, state and national elections, and issues of public concern, such as schools, taxes, transportation, municipal services and the environment.
For a typical public opinion survey, a randomly selected sample of about 1,000 registered voters age 18 and over is interviewed over five or six days. Student interviewers use a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system to collect data from statewide and national residents. The polls are conducted at the Polling Institute.
The Gallup Organization conducts polls on political, economic and social issues in the United States and countries around the world.
Is there a difference between a poll and a survey? How are polls and surveys taken? Who is included? What questions are asked?