Can we believe the polling on Murray vs. McGinn?

VIDEO: Most voter surveys show Murray with a double-digit lead over the mayor. Seriously?

Robert Mak

Robert Mak Jul 11, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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          <article>
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              <hgroup>
                <h1>Can we believe the polling on Murray vs. McGinn? </h1>
                <h2><p>VIDEO: Most voter surveys show Murray with a double-digit lead over the mayor. Seriously?</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/rmak-seattletopstory-com/">Robert Mak</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
            </header>
            <p>VIDEO: Most voter surveys show Murray with a double-digit lead over the mayor. Seriously?</p><figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card"><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/78216837" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></figure><p>Local pollsters are giving Ed Murray a fat lead over Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. But lots of Seattle voters are still on the fence, and polling can be as much art as science. Robert Mak explores the challenges - and accuracy - of today's statistical efforts to read the voters' minds.</p><p>Click <a href="http://crosscut.com/2013/10/16/2013-seattle-mayor-race-games/116965/robert-mak-murray-mcginn-seattle-mayor-debate/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">here</a> to watch Robert Mak's report from Mike McGinn and Ed Murray's last televised debate.</p>
          </article>

VIDEO: Most voter surveys show Murray with a double-digit lead over the mayor. Seriously?

Local pollsters are giving Ed Murray a fat lead over Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. But lots of Seattle voters are still on the fence, and polling can be as much art as science. Robert Mak explores the challenges - and accuracy - of today's statistical efforts to read the voters' minds.

Click here to watch Robert Mak's report from Mike McGinn and Ed Murray's last televised debate.

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By Robert Mak

Robert Mak is a principal of Seattletopstory.com and a longtime broadcast reporter in Western Washington.