Why I’m skeptical of some puzzling polls

  • mozz@mbin.grits.devOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    46
    ·
    8 months ago

    And also, this was news to me, but apparently they’re for the most part still doing polls by calling people on the phone from a random number. I cannot possibly imagine that that’s true but that’s what the article says.

    They’re like micro optimizing for individual per cents, and then doing something which will eliminate 80% of Gen Z from their polling, and when you ask them about it they apparently say “¯_(ツ)_/¯ IDK we do phone”

    • kescusay@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      32
      ·
      8 months ago

      Yep. For the last half a dozen elections, the polls have overestimated Republican strength, and underestimated Democratic strength. I think it’s in large part because the pollsters still haven’t managed to figure out how to poll people who simply will not answer unknown numbers.

      • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        Polls were really bad in 2016, but the seem to have largely corrected that. 2018 polling just before the election was accurate. 2020 was projected as close and it was, there were a few problem states, but nothing like 2016. 2022 was again very accurate.

        Polling around the presidential election or maybe just Trump is less accurate, but it’s been getting better since 2016.

        • kescusay@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          8 months ago

          Not quite. Polls underestimated Democratic support in 2018, 2019’s special elections, 2021’s special elections, the 2022 midterms, and last year’s elections. It’s been remarkably consistent how far off they’ve been.

          Do I prefer that to the other way around, as happened in 2016? Sure. But they’ve clearly over-corrected, and are having significant trouble getting back on track due to the difficulty of polling young people.