Pollster ratings · Head to head

Rasmussen vs. Siena: which pollster is more accurate?

Rasmussen comes out ahead on 4 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
Rasmussen Reports
C
Trust Score 27/100 · rank #59
 
Siena College
A-
Trust Score 67/100 · rank #17

Head to head

MeasureRasmussenSiena
Trust Score27/10067/100 ★
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
4.9 pts ★5.7 pts
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
0.3 worse0.2 better ★
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±4.7 pts ★±5.1 pts
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+1.7 ★R+3.2
Winners called67%89% ★
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
139 polls57 polls
2026 polls1913
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
D+0.6 ★D+2.7

2026 races both have polled

RaceRasmussen (latest)Siena (latest)
Iowa SenateTurek 47, Hinson 43 (D+2.3 vs. avg)Turek 47, Hinson 48 (R+2.6 vs. avg)
Texas SenateTalarico 46, Paxton 45 (R+0.9 vs. avg)Talarico 51, Paxton 45 (D+4.6 vs. avg)
Ohio SenateBrown 46, Husted 43 (even vs. avg)Brown 49, Husted 46 (R+0.3 vs. avg)

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

More comparisons: Rasmussen Reports vs. YouGov · Siena College vs. YouGov · Emerson College vs. Rasmussen Reports · Emerson College vs. Siena College · Rasmussen Reports vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Siena College vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · New York Times/Siena College vs. Rasmussen Reports · New York Times/Siena College vs. Siena College

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Rasmussen or Siena?

Rasmussen has the smaller average error (4.9 pts vs. 5.7 pts). Overall, rasmussen comes out ahead on 4 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Rasmussen: C, Trust Score 27; Siena: A-, Trust Score 67).

Which leans more Republican in 2026, Rasmussen or Siena?

Rasmussen (D+0.6 versus other polls of the same races) compared with Siena (D+2.7). Lean describes how a pollster's numbers compare with others; it isn't a measure of accuracy.

Have Rasmussen and Siena polled the same 2026 races?

Yes: 3 races in Crosstab's data, including Iowa Senate, Texas Senate, Ohio 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.