UMass Lowell comes out ahead on 6 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.
| Measure | Suffolk | UMass Lowell |
|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | 68/100 | 80/100 ★ |
| Average error how far final polls missed the result | 4.1 pts | 3.4 pts ★ |
| Versus expected error compared with what its races predicted | 0.7 better | 1.5 better ★ |
| Consistency random miss once its tilt is removed | ±4 pts | ±3.3 pts ★ |
| Historical bias closer to even is better | D+1.5 ★ | D+1.6 |
| Winners called | 81% | 85% ★ |
| Track record final polls analyzed, 1998–2022 | 60 polls | 21 polls |
| 2026 polls | 14 | 3 |
| 2026 lean versus other polls of the same races | D+1.3 | Even ★ |
| Race | Suffolk (latest) | UMass Lowell (latest) |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Senate | Markey 60, Deaton 32 (D+2.1 vs. avg) | Markey 55, Deaton 26 (D+2.1 vs. avg) |
Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings
More comparisons: Suffolk University vs. YouGov · University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion vs. YouGov · Emerson College vs. Suffolk University · Emerson College vs. University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion · Suffolk University vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · New York Times/Siena College vs. Suffolk University · New York Times/Siena College vs. University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Public Opinion
UMass Lowell has the smaller average error (3.4 pts vs. 4.1 pts). Overall, uMass Lowell comes out ahead on 6 of 7 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Suffolk: A-, Trust Score 68; UMass Lowell: A, Trust Score 80).
UMass Lowell (Even versus other polls of the same races) compared with Suffolk (D+1.3). Lean describes how a pollster's numbers compare with others; it isn't a measure of accuracy.
Yes: 1 race in Crosstab's data, including Massachusetts 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 2026-11-11 · Crosstab, nonpartisan polling analysis.