Frank Newport of Gallup discusses public opinion polls, voter priorities
Annie YangDespite the controversy behind Gallup's decision to move away frompolling leading up to the 2016 presidential elections, Editor-in-Chief of Gallup Frank Newport argued that polling is more than just election polling in a lecture Wednesday afternoon. In light of the 2016 state presidential primaries, Newport asserted that Gallup decided to move away from focusing on polling during this election cycle in order to focus on overall public opinion.Although Gallup is known for its role in developing horse-race polling, and has been one of the primary voices on election polling, in recent years ithas decided to focus on issues and voter priorities instead of forecasting election results. Newport is the editor-in-chief of Gallup and author of "Polling Matters—Why Leaders Must Listen to the Wisdom of the People." His analyses on the American public's views on elected officials and on public mood and behavior make regular appearances in his blog "Polling Matters." "What is the role of public opinion — beyond voting — as a measurement?" he asked. Public opinion is manifested in the vote and is essentially channeled through elections, he said.