Google versus Pollsters: Who’s Right?

The Takeaway

Throughout the day, voters will be polled as they exit their voting stations. But how seriously should we be taking those polls? Isn’t there a more accurate measurement of the electorate than a few thousand voters talking to a handful of pollsters?
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz thinks so. A doctoral candidate in economics at Harvard, he’s found that Google searches frequently say more about what the electorate wants than any poll.
He’s talked with us in the past about how Google search habits reveal details about our voting tendencies. And today, he joins us with insights on how last second rumors, ads, and events have changed what people search for in recent days as they prepare to elect their next president.

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