Polling: what is it, and how does it work?

If you’re on Twitter, listening to the radio or watching the news at any point this year, there’s one thing you’re sure to hear a lot about: polls. In the run up to a general election, commentators, politicians, indeed voters in general, are keen to know who the public is planning to vote for and why. Public opinion polling is generally accepted as the best way to find out.

But as polling has become more popular – not to mention cheaper and easier to conduct – the amount of data available to us has ballooned. Numerous polling companies, all with their own methods and questions, run thousands of surveys a year, producing numbers that can sometimes be very different.

But how can we tell which results to trust, and which to disregard? How are polls even conducted in the first place? And what’s this ‘MRP’ thing that I keep hearing people bang on about? These are all questions that this guide aims to answer. Download the report here

A beginner’s guide to general elections

This second instalment of UK in a Changing Europe’s series of ‘beginner’s guides’ covers UK general elections.

‘A beginner’s guide to general elections’ unpacks  how they work, from prorogation to polling day. You will find everything you need to know about the dissolution of Parliament, the drawing up of constituencies, how candidates are selected, what they can and cannot do on the campaign trail, the laws which govern party spending, and what to expect on polling day – right down to how polling stations are set up. There’s even a section on what to expect in the days following the election, from government formation to the selection of the Speaker and the State Opening of Parliament.

This guide is perfect for those who are learning about British politics and institutions for the first time, or those who, unfamiliar with the details, are being asked to write about them.

The UKICE beginner’s guides aim to provide an accessible yet thorough overview of the most pressing issues, institutions and debates in politics and society today. Download it here