What is the definition of scientific polling?

Scientific polling consists of surveying a random sample of the population in order to obtain statistically significant results for an upcoming vote or election. Scientific polls are frequently used before a big election for countries or states. Polls are also sometimes used by corporations to test new products.

One of the most challenging aspects of a poll is having a truly random sample. If the sample is not representative of the population, the results will have a large margin of error. A truly scientific poll has a random sample as well as results for each option with a statistically calculated margin of error, which is small when conducted correctly.