Why are political opinion polls so popular around the time of a general election?
A16 Opinion polls have a central role to play within the media, during the run-up to an election. They are often commissioned by newspapers who need statistics to back up their own reporting of events, and to support their political and editorial agenda. They also provide the public with the opportunity to express their views on the competing political parties and air their opinions on the issues that are really important to them before they have to cast a vote. In this sense opinion polls are central to modern election campaigns: they provide a context within which the battle is fought. Opinion polls have also become part of the armoury of political parties as they seek to gain momentum and drum up support before an election. They guide the parties as to how they are viewed by the public and the areas in which they are excelling or need to improve.
