Why Do Election Polls Matter?
According to Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, election polls are not meant to predict the outcome of an election, but rather to understand voter behavior.
They are never meant to serve as a crystal ball, but rather to help us understand the why and how behind voter behavior.
Public interest polling plays several roles in democracy, including providing a systematic way to measure public sentiment in real time during elections.
Koning explains that polls show how close or not close a race may be at any given moment, helping to inform voters and analysts about the state of the election.
Author's summary: Election polls help understand voter behavior.