Pollster ratings · Head to head

Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. vs. Change: which pollster is more accurate?

Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. comes out ahead on 5 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index, which grades pollsters on how close their final polls came to actual results from 1998 to 2022.

★ Ahead
Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research
B
Trust Score 59/100 · rank #29
 
Change Research
C+
Trust Score 33/100 · rank #54

Head to head

MeasureBeacon Research/Shaw & Co.Change
Trust Score59/100 ★33/100
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
4.4 pts ★5.6 pts
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
0 better ★0.7 worse
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±4 pts ★±4.5 pts
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+2.2 ★D+3.2
Winners called67%71% ★
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
42 polls102 polls
2026 polls2113
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
D+0.8D+0.8

2026 races both have polled

RaceBeacon Research/Shaw & Co. (latest)Change (latest)
Iowa SenateTurek 49, Hinson 47 (D+0.6 vs. avg)Turek 41, Hinson 44
North Carolina SenateCooper 53, Whatley 44 (D+2.9 vs. avg)Cooper 50, Whatley 43 (R+1.9 vs. avg)

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

More comparisons: Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. YouGov · Change Research vs. YouGov · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. Emerson College · Change Research vs. Emerson College · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Change Research vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. New York Times/Siena College · Change Research vs. New York Times/Siena College

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. or Change?

Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. has the smaller average error (4.4 pts vs. 5.6 pts). Overall, beacon Research/Shaw & Co. comes out ahead on 5 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Beacon Research/Shaw & Co.: B, Trust Score 59; Change: C+, Trust Score 33).

Have Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. and Change polled the same 2026 races?

Yes: 2 races in Crosstab's data, including Iowa Senate, North Carolina Senate.

Grades: Crosstab Trust Index, computed from FiveThirtyEight's pollster-ratings data (CC BY 4.0), 1998–2022; 2026 measures from Crosstab's polling data.

Updated 2026-10-04 · Crosstab, nonpartisan polling analysis.