Gold Standard
Pollsters
PSI designates a curated set of pollsters as Gold Standard when they meet criteria for consistency, transparency, and real-world accuracy in tracking public sentiment. Gold Standard polls receive a ×2 upweight in all PSI daily averages.
- Repeatable performance across electoral environments
- Stable, trackable readings suitable for time-series modeling
- No extreme methodological drift without disclosure
- Field dates and sample size published
- Defined universe (A/RV/LV) and mode when available
- Sponsor disclosure and/or full release notes when applicable
- Clear toplines and consistent formatting across releases
- Question wording consistency preferred for trackers
- Auditable, public-facing or verifiable releases
Gold Standard pollsters receive an effective sample size inflation of n′ = n × (m²) where m = 2, so √n′ = 2 × √n. This means their contribution to the daily weighted average is doubled relative to standard pollsters of equivalent raw sample size. The upweight applies only when PSI minimum disclosure items (field dates, sample size, sample type) are present in the release.
If you have a release with field dates, sample details, and documentation, send it over. We review all submissions against the criteria above.