Opinion poll

An opinion poll shows what a large group of chosen people think about the poll's topic. An opinion poll usually has a set of choices from which the chosen person may choose as his opinion. The number of people that select each choice is recorded. These numbers are then written as percentages of the overall group. This gives a general idea of how many people in a certain group agree or disagree on a certain topic. One of the fundamental principles of opinion polling is selecting a representative sample from a larger population. The goal is to ensure that the group chosen for the survey accurately reflects the demographics and characteristics of the entire population. This is typically done through random sampling methods to minimize bias.

Opinion Poll Media

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  Voter polling questionnaire on display at the Smithsonian Institution

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  Voter turnout by race/ethnicity, 2008 US presidential election