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FindLaw.com Survey: Americans Trust, Aren't Swayed by Political Polls

How much attention do Americans pay to the results of political polls? Do they trust the accuracy of the polls? And do the poll results influence how they vote? A new national survey conducted by FindLaw.com sheds some new light on what Americans think about political opinion polls.

Survey results show that, while Americans trust the results of political polls, they aren't necessarily swayed by them. While sixty-eight percent of Americans believe that political polling is at least somewhat accurate, four in 10 Americans pay little or no attention to opinion polls on the popularity of presidential candidates, and more than eight in 10 say polls do not influence their vote. Those who consider themselves Democratic (or leaning Democratic) are more likely to pay attention to political polls than those who consider themselves Independent or Republican (or leaning Republican). This may be due, at least in part, to the closely contested fight for the Democratic presidential nomination.

• Americans Trust but Don't Listen to Political Polls, Says New FindLaw.com Survey (Press release)
• Podcast Discussing Survey Results (right-click to download)

Full post as published by FindLaw's Common Law on May 19, 2008 (boomark / email).