What Can a Poll Tell Us?

Everyone wants to know who will win an election, but polls do more than predicting outcomes. The polling reporter Ruth Igielnik shares how polls are also judged on their ability to reveal electorate dynamics.CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — MARCH 11, 2026: Ruth Igielnik, a New York Times reporter interviews Ann Huebner a Charlottesville resident about the high cost of health care in the country. In Charlottesville Virginia. (Photo by Eze Amos/New York Times)