Are Polls Accurate or Misleading? Dayton’s Approval Rating is 62 Percent

Poll results are back in the headlines. According to a recent Star Tribune Minnesota Poll, Governor Dayton’s approval rating is at 62 percent — the “highest job approval rating of his tenure.”

But as we learned from November 2016, poll numbers are not always accurate or indicative.

A breakdown of the poll confirmed the majority of Dayton’s high ratings came from DFLers in the state’s metropolitan area. Ninety-two percent of Democrats polled approved of the governor’s performance,  72 percent of respondents who approved were from Hennepin and Ramsey counties, and 62 percent were from the rest of the Twin Cities suburbs.

Which suggests liberalism is less appealing to Greater Minnesota.

Just over a month ago, American Experiment President John Hinderaker wrote about two articles in the Star Tribune that echoed this sentiment: After two terms of Dayton, DFL losing grip on voters outside Twin Cities and DFLers scramble to figure out growing challenge outside metro areas.   

Dayton is not seeking re-election in 2018, but the Strib feels the governor’s poll results will give “DFLers at least one reason to be hopeful about hanging onto the seat.”  

But will the poll results of 800 Minnesotans translate into real results come next November? Or will the misleading nature of polls be confirmed once again?