Two National Outlets Publish Reader Questions on Poll Reliability Before Midterms

The New York Times published a piece by Nate Cohn, Questions for a Pollster about the midterms, that answers readers' queries about the possible reasons a survey could misfire.

According to the Times summary, the piece addresses why a survey might produce misleading results, but the summary does not report any specific findings or figures from the article.

NPR published a piece by Domenico Montanaro in which listeners sent in questions ahead of Election Day, and its headline asks, "Can I trust the polls?" The article is linked here as NPR listener questions on the 2026 midterms.

According to the NPR summary, the listener questions cover whether debates are dead, whether polls are reliable for election coverage, and how Trump might work with Democrats if they win control of Congress.

The two outlets therefore address different parts of the same subject. The Times summary centers on the causes of survey error, while the NPR summary places polling alongside debates and a possible working relationship between Trump and Democrats in Congress.

Neither summary reports the answers its article gives, so this report does not state what either reporter concluded about polling accuracy. The Federal Chronicle worked from the headlines and summaries of both pieces only, without the full text of either article.

Sources: The New York Times: Questions for a Pollster: What Are Your ‘Fears’ for the Midterms?; NPR: Can I trust the polls? And other questions from listeners about the 2026 midterms.