Pollster ratings · Head to head

Cygnal vs. Research & Polling Inc.: which pollster is more accurate?

Cygnal comes out ahead on 4 of 6 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index, which grades pollsters on how close their final polls came to actual results from 1998 to 2022.

★ Ahead
Cygnal
A
Trust Score 76/100 · rank #8
 
Research & Polling Inc.
A
Trust Score 75/100 · rank #9

Head to head

MeasureCygnalResearch & Polling Inc.
Trust Score76/100 ★75/100
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
3.8 pts ★4.2 pts
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
1.5 better1.7 better ★
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±3.3 pts ★±4.1 pts
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+2.4R+1 ★
Winners called92% ★88%
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
39 polls43 polls
2026 polls11—
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
R+0.3—

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

More comparisons: Cygnal vs. YouGov · Research & Polling Inc. vs. YouGov · Cygnal vs. Emerson College · Emerson College vs. Research & Polling Inc. · Cygnal vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Research & Polling Inc. vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Cygnal vs. New York Times/Siena College · New York Times/Siena College vs. Research & Polling Inc.

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Cygnal or Research & Polling Inc.?

Cygnal has the smaller average error (3.8 pts vs. 4.2 pts). Overall, cygnal comes out ahead on 4 of 6 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Cygnal: A, Trust Score 76; Research & Polling Inc.: A, Trust Score 75).

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.