Polling Pitfalls: Lessons from 2016 and 2020

Nate Cohn, an expert on polling for The New York Times, knows that the predictions for the 2016 presidential election were bad.

But this year, he says, they were even worse.

So, what happened?

Nate talks us through a few of his theories and considers whether, after two flawed performances, polling should be ditched.

Guest: Nate Cohn, a domestic correspondent for The Upshot at The New York Times, speaks to us about the polls and breaks down the election results.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily

Background reading:

• As the results rolled in on Tuesday night, so did a strong sense of déjà vu. Pre-election polls, it appeared, had been misleading once again.
• Leading Republicans — including Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader — have backed President Trump’s refusal to concede.

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