Pollster ratings · Head to head

NYT/Siena vs. UMass Lowell: which pollster is more accurate?

UMass Lowell 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.

 
The New York Times/Siena College
A+
Trust Score 84/100 · rank #3
★ Ahead
University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion
A
Trust Score 80/100 · rank #5

Head to head

MeasureNYT/SienaUMass Lowell
Trust Score84/100 ★80/100
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
4.1 pts3.4 pts ★
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
0.8 better1.5 better ★
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±3.9 pts±3.3 pts ★
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+1.3 ★D+1.6
Winners called69%85% ★
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
92 polls21 polls
2026 polls231
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
R+1—

2026 races both have polled

RaceNYT/Siena (latest)UMass Lowell (latest)
Maine GovernorPingree 47, Charles 34 (D+2.3 vs. avg)Pingree 49, Charles 38 (R+0.8 vs. avg)

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

More comparisons: New York Times/Siena College vs. YouGov · University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion vs. YouGov · Emerson College vs. New York Times/Siena College · Emerson College vs. University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion · New York Times/Siena College vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Beacon Research/Shaw & Co. Research vs. New York Times/Siena College · New York Times/Siena College vs. Rasmussen Reports

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, NYT/Siena or UMass Lowell?

UMass Lowell has the smaller average error (3.4 pts vs. 4.1 pts). Overall, uMass Lowell comes out ahead on 4 of 6 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (NYT/Siena: A+, Trust Score 84; UMass Lowell: A, Trust Score 80).

Have NYT/Siena and UMass Lowell polled the same 2026 races?

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

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.