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Comment and Humans

As US election looms, time is ripe for a new science of polling

Growing scepticism about traditional methods for predicting election outcomes is fuelling a search for a more scientific approach to polling, says Vuk Vukovic

By Vuk Vukovic

3 November 2016

Âé¶¹´«Ã½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Which way will it go?

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty

As the US prepares to vote for its new president next week, narrowing political polls have suggested that this crucial election may be too close to call.

Although such polls are hugely influential – affecting – it is becoming clear that we should not set too much store by them. Their reliability is increasingly doubted in the wake of polls that got it wrong on big occasions, such as those relating to the and , and securing the Republican party…

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