Pollster ratings · Head to head

Selzer vs. YouGov: which pollster is more accurate?

Selzer comes out ahead on 6 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
Selzer & Co.
A+
Trust Score 94/100 · rank #1
 
YouGov
B-
Trust Score 44/100 · rank #43

Head to head

MeasureSelzerYouGov
Trust Score94/100 ★44/100
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
2.7 pts ★5 pts
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
2.1 better ★0.1 better
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±2.7 pts ★±4.8 pts
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+0.3 ★D+1.3
Winners called89% ★87%
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
35 polls481 polls
2026 polls—42
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
—D+1.4

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

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

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Selzer or YouGov?

Selzer has the smaller average error (2.7 pts vs. 5 pts). Overall, selzer comes out ahead on 6 of 6 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Selzer: A+, Trust Score 94; YouGov: B-, Trust Score 44).

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.