---
title: "Video: How precise are polls really?"
description: "How precise are polls...really? Courtney Kennedy let’s us in on a little secret: even the best pollsters need some wiggle room when sharing results. This “wiggle room” (also known as the margin of error) is the range within the true answer likely falls.  "
date: "2026-07-29"
authors:
  - name: "Courtney Kennedy"
    job_title: "Former Vice President, Methods and Innovation"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/courtney-kennedy/"
  - name: "Sara Atske"
    job_title: "Digital Producer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/sara-atske/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/2026/07/29/video-how-precise-are-polls-really/"
categories:
  - "Uncategorized"
---

# Video: How precise are polls really?

How precise are polls...really? Here's a little secret: even the best pollsters need some wiggle room when sharing results. This “wiggle room” (also known as the margin of error) is the range within the true answer likely falls. To learn more about polling basics, watch our [Methods 101 video series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ9z-Af5ISavJpPlvdMU4T-etIDOUmldk).

https://youtu.be/2MajScOC5lE