Episode 7: Margin of error

Polls are often used to predict how elections will turn out. But are they accurate? In 2016, most polls predicted Hillary Clinton would become president of the U.S. In 2012, polls predicted the Wildrose Party winning the Alberta provincial election. In 2017, polls had Bill Smith becoming mayor of Calgary. Do a few high-profile misses mean that polls are unreliable? In this episode, we talk to Corey Hogan, former chief communications officer for the government of Alberta, who now leads the communications team for UCalgary's Office of Advancement, about some of the factors that can skew polls, how to make sure they're as unbiased as possible, and how to look at them with a critical eye. Have an idea for a future episode? Email [email protected].