Introduction
This guide is designed to help researchers at Washington and Lee University find the results of public opinion surveys on a wide range of topics. A few of these resources are W&L subscriptions, available only to current students and faculty, while others are provided without-charge.
Databases Covering Multiple Sources
Databases which enable W&L researchers to find survey results from hundreds of sources.
- FiveThirtyEight -- Latest PollsUp-to-date collection of presidential primary polls, approval polls, Congressional election polls, generic ballot polls, and much more. FiveThirtyEight site, begun by Nate Silver, is owned by ABC News.
- 2020 Democratic Presidential PrimaryFiveThirtyEight's geographical arrangement of polls and endorsements.
- Polling ReportThe basic PollingReport.com site contains thousands of poll results from a wide range of sources. Mostly politics-related surveys, but use the "Search Polling Report" option (upper left) for additional topics. Important note: State polls are password-protected.
- Real Clear Politics -- Latest PollsHefty selection of recent U.S. political polling results.
Single-Source Searching
Access to survey results from a single polling organization.
- Pew Research CenterNonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It includes multiple "projects" in various subject areas. Note there is a collection devoted to Elections and Campaigns.
- Gallup.comSite provides access to recent surveys and other information products from Gallup. Note that there are sections on Politics, Government, and the Presidency.
Help with Evaluation
The Associated Press offers guidance in its Stylebook to anyone writing about or using public opinion surveys:
Nate Cohn at the New York Times prepared this guide to assessing the details and methodologies of polls:
The Pew Research Center explains election exit polling:
The Five ThirtyEight site, under the direction of Nate Silver, applies statistical analysis to contemporary issues in politics, economics, and other areas, including these ratings of polling sources' accuracy (updated in Mary 2018):