# So will anybody ever trust the polls again?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-anybody-ever-trust-the-polls-again/924714
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [November 4, 2020, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-anybody-ever-trust-the-polls-again/924714 "2020-11-04T05:49:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 26

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### Author: ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-will-anybody-ever-trust-the-polls-again/924714/26 "2020-11-04T11:46:41Z")

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Before you decide whether you trust the polls, you need to decide whether you trust [the result.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tinfoil-time-if-the-voting-machines-were-hacked-would-we-know/924724)

And potential hacking aside, note that the 538 model explicitly did not factor in all the voter suppression and nullification efforts - legal and illegal - the Republicans were openly engaged in across the country, from fake ballot dropboxes to intimidating robocalls to severely limiting polling sites etc etc etc - there’s no doubt it had a significant effect (and, sadly, proved to the GOP that it was effective - look for more and more each election).

It’s all very well to talk about the odds-on favorite of the Kentucky Derby but if there’s a couple of guys in the bushes with rifles sniping at the horses it’s a little unfair to blame the bookies for getting the odds wrong.

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