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cover of episode How To Read Polls In 2024

How To Read Polls In 2024

2024/9/26
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FiveThirtyEight Politics

Chapters

As the 2024 presidential election heats up, understanding how to interpret polls is crucial. This chapter emphasizes checking the pollster's track record and transparency using resources like FiveThirtyEight's pollster ratings. It also advises caution with polls sponsored by partisan groups, as they may present a biased picture.
  • FiveThirtyEight rates pollsters based on historical accuracy and transparency.
  • Partisan polls tend to favor the sponsoring side by 4-5 points.
  • New or unrated pollsters should be interpreted with caution.

Shownotes Transcript

We are in the frantic final weeks of the presidential campaign, which means Americans are obsessing over polling data more than usual. At 538, we cover this stuff year-round. So today on the show, we’re going back to the fundamentals. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned political hack or a bright-eyed newcomer: Everyone can benefit from our 10 Essentials Of Following Polls.

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