Welcome to the Franklin & Marshall College Poll Newsletter! Here, you can take a deep dive into Pennsylvania politics, elections, public policy, and topics of social interest.
The poll is conducted by F&M's Center for Opinion Research, where we're known for perceptive survey design and insightful analysis. On this site, we'll share what we've learned in over 30 years of conducting public opinion surveys. We'll also release all new F&M polls here.
Our goal is to encourage deeper thinking about what polls mean—to look not only at the results, but at the quality of a specific poll and what the polls collectively reveal about any given election or issue.
Subscribers get our newsletters via email, and also receive all new F&M Poll releases as soon as they are available. We hope you find our work helpful and informative!
Fracking and the Rightward Shift of Working Class Voters
We argue that the transition from coal to natural gas in Pennsylvania has been an important driver in shifting how working-class voters think about the Republican and Democratic parties.
More of the Same: What the 2024 Election Results Tell us about Pennsylvania
Democrats experienced a deep loss in Pennsylvania in 2024. But does this mean the state--and the nation--are experiencing permanent political change? We analyze new data about voter behavior and the electoral landscape to answer this question.
Did Trump Reverse the Voter Registration Tide or Ride It?
Pennsylvania's partisan voter registration has tightened over the last decade. But did Trump really drive the changes? And do they represent a durable realignment that advantages Republicans?
2024 Pennsylvania Polling: Focusing on Performance in the Horse Race isn’t Good Enough
We explore how oversimplified postmortem polling assessments can be more harmful than helpful.
Thinking About Likely Voters...
There have been many comments and questions about the likely voter data reported in the October F&M Poll, and how we define likely voters. In this post, we address the two most common questions.
Franklin & Marshall Poll Release: October 2024
Both the presidential and senate races in Pennsylvania are neck-and-neck among likely voters in this month's poll, which also explores voters' positions on a number of campaign issues, including immigration, the economy, fracking, and abortion rights.
Polling the Presidential Race: Does Methodology Matter?
We explore how various methodologies may affect poll results, looking particularly at how different approaches to sampling and data collection seem to produce slightly different descriptions of the 2024 presidential race.
Franklin & Marshall Poll Release: September 2024
This month’s poll of Pennsylvania registered voters finds that Kamala Harris leads Donald Trump 49% - 46% in the presidential race. The poll also explores opinions on the economy, the direction of the state, and US foreign policy.
Franklin & Marshall College Poll Newsletter
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