Question

how are votes polled?

Answer 1

One of the most prominent applications of survey research is election polling. In election years, much of the polling by Pew Research Center focuses on people’s issue preferences, engagement in the election, opinions about the candidates, views of the campaign and voter preferences. Even in the so-called “off years,” many of our polls include questions about party identification, past voting behavior or voter reactions to events.

Although election polls attract a great deal of attention for their ability to predict the outcome of elections, their most important function is to help journalists and citizens understand the meaning of the campaign and the election. Polls help to explain, among other things, what issues are important, how candidate qualities may affect voters’ decisions, and how much support there is for particular policy changes