Pollster ratings · Head to head

Change vs. Marist: which pollster is more accurate?

Marist 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.

 
Change Research
C+
Trust Score 33/100 · rank #54
★ Ahead
Marist College
B+
Trust Score 61/100 · rank #27

Head to head

MeasureChangeMarist
Trust Score33/10061/100 ★
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
5.6 pts4.8 pts ★
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
0.7 worse0.1 worse ★
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±4.5 pts ★±4.7 pts
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+3.2D+0.4 ★
Winners called71%80% ★
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
102 polls130 polls
2026 polls1311
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
D+0.8 ★D+3.1

2026 races both have polled

RaceChange (latest)Marist (latest)
Iowa SenateTurek 41, Hinson 44Turek 50, Hinson 42 (D+8.1 vs. avg)

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

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

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Change or Marist?

Marist has the smaller average error (4.8 pts vs. 5.6 pts). Overall, marist comes out ahead on 5 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Change: C+, Trust Score 33; Marist: B+, Trust Score 61).

Which leans more Republican in 2026, Change or Marist?

Change (D+0.8 versus other polls of the same races) compared with Marist (D+3.1). Lean describes how a pollster's numbers compare with others; it isn't a measure of accuracy.

Have Change and Marist polled the same 2026 races?

Yes: 1 race in Crosstab's data, including Iowa 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.