A poll average is the result of someone taking the combined information from many different opinion polls that deal with the same issue and synthesizing the information into a new set of numbers.
The problem with this is that each poll is usually conducted in a slightly different manner, which technically cannot be combined into one poll. Polls in themselves contain uncertainty because they are only using a sample of the population. The uncertainty is measurable, which we usually call the margin of error. An inaccurate way to conduct a poll average is to treat each poll as though they were exactly the same in uncertainty. The reason for this is that this type of poll average gives less weight to the polls that have less uncertainty.
However, if you account for the variation in polls due to each poll's unique sample size, you can combine the polls into a poll average. This means the only assumption you are making is that each poll was conducted in a similar manner. You can also measure the uncertainty of this poll average.
An example of a poll average that is done using the more accurate method is found here: 2008 Presidential Election poll average.
Famous quotes containing the words poll and/or average:
“If Rosa Parks had taken a poll before she sat down in that bus in Montgomery, she’d still be standing.”
—Mary Frances Berry (b. 1938)
“The average educated man in America has about as much knowledge of what a political idea is as he has of the principles of counterpoint. Each is a thing used in politics or music which those fellows who practise politics or music manipulate somehow. Show him one and he will deny that it is politics at all. It must be corrupt or he will not recognize it. He has only seen dried figs. He has only thought dried thoughts. A live thought or a real idea is against the rules of his mind.”
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933)