Global facts & stats

Question 1

For its projection in the 1980 U.S. presidential election, NBC based its exit-poll call on interviews with about how many voters?

Accepted Answer

about 20,000 voters. Exit polls let TV networks project winners on election night, often hours before official counts are finished.

Question 2

What did exit polls incorrectly predict in the UK's 1992 general election, a famous polling miss dubbed the 'Shy Tory Factor'?

Accepted Answer

a hung parliament. The Conservative Party actually won with a reduced majority -- pollsters underestimated quiet Conservative support.

Question 3

In Austria's 2016 presidential election, postal votes -- which swung the result away from the exit-poll leader -- made up about what share of the total vote?

Accepted Answer

about 12%. Norbert Hofer led in same-day exit polls, but Alexander Van der Bellen won once postal ballots were counted.

Question 4

In India's 2024 general election, exit polls projected the ruling BJP-led coalition would win about how many of the 543 seats?

Accepted Answer

350 to 370 seats (an overestimate). The actual result was much closer than exit polls suggested, with the opposition performing far better than projected.

Global facts & stats

Going deeper

For its projection in the 1980 U.S. presidential election, NBC based its exit-poll call on interviews with about how many voters?

In India's 2024 general election, exit polls projected the ruling BJP-led coalition would win about how many of the 543 seats?

Expert level

What did exit polls incorrectly predict in the UK's 1992 general election, a famous polling miss dubbed the 'Shy Tory Factor'?

In Austria's 2016 presidential election, postal votes -- which swung the result away from the exit-poll leader -- made up about what share of the total vote?