Why did the US election pollsters get it wrong again
Landslide predicted for Democrat Joe Biden is nowhere in sight as Donald Trump takes Florida
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Just as pollsters got it wrong about Hillary Clinton in 2016, they’ve got it wrong again with no signs of the landslide talked-up for Joe Biden.
Many polls gave the Democrat presidential candidate a strong lead in the race for the White House, but it has turned out to be much closer than anticipated.
A seven-day rolling average of polls suggested Mr Biden was leading by 51 per cent compared to incumbent president Donald Trump's 44 per cent on election day, according to data from Real Clear Politics.
The final numbers were not much changed from where they were on 3 June, when there were three months to election day.
The Democrat’s large lead in national polls was the largest of any candidate on the eve of the election since Bill Clinton in 1996, according to polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight.
But it became clear the polls were wide of the mark when Mr Trump won the most-prized battleground of Florida, the largest of the swing states, turning everything on its head.
The Sunshine State had been expecting a three-point lead for Mr Biden, according to Real Clear Politics data, while one pollster even put him ahead by five percentage points.
Mr Trump’s win is thought to have been somewhat due to the fact more than 50 per cent of Florida's Cuban-American vote went to the Republican, according to NBC News exit polls.
The fate of the United States presidency now hands in the balance, as President Trump and his challenger fight for three familiar battleground states - Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania - that could prove crucial in determining who wins the White House.
Investors on Wednesday rushed to adjust portfolios for a tighter and later US election result than many had expected as pre-poll expectations of a clear Democratic party win in White House and Senate races looked wide of the mark.
Betting market odds tightened but still favoured Mr Trump after flipping dramatically overnight to favour the president over Mr Biden, according to data from three aggregators.
Additional reporting by agencies
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments