Opinion polling for the 2011 Canadian federal election by constituency explained

Various polling organisations have been conducting opinion polling in specific ridings in the lead up to the 2011 Canadian general election. The results of publicised opinion polling for individual constituencies are detailed in this article.

Opinion polls have been conducted from the months following the previous general election held in October 2008, and have increased in frequency leading up to the general election.

Given the expense of polling individual constituencies, constituencies are usually only polled if they are of some particular interest, e.g. they are thought to be marginal or facing an impending by-election. The constituencies polled are not necessarily representative of a national average swing. Under the first-past-the-post electoral system the true marginal seats, by definition, will be decisive as to the outcome of the election.

A total of 20 polls in 17 ridings across 2 provinces were conducted.

Constituency polls

British Columbia

Saanich—Gulf Islands

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Oracle HTML 38 9 9 45 0 ±4.9 pp 389 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 43 39 6 10 1 ±0.0 pp 64,639 Election

Quebec

Beauport—Limoilou

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 27 5 36 30 2 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 37 14 12 33 3 1 ±0.0 pp 49,794 Election

Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 31 9 35 22 3 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 41 14 13 29 2 0 ±0.0 pp 50,791 Election

Chicoutimi—Le Fjord

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 18 9 27 43 3 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
Segma Research HTML 29 11 23 35 3 0 ±4.6 pp 432 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 35 13 8 41 2 0 ±0.0 pp 48,533 Election

Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Segma Research HTML 14 19 11 48 6 0 ±4.9 pp 435 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 23 27 7 40 3 0 ±0.0 pp 36,940 Election

Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Segma Research HTML 15 24 5 49 5 0 ±4.9 pp 435 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 18 36 5 38 4 1 ±0.0 pp 32,268 Election

Hull—Aylmer

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Segma Research HTML 11 29 42 13 2 0 ±4.4 pp 500 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 15 37 20 22 5 0 ±0.0 pp 52,707 Election

Jonquière—Alma

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 34 4 32 25 3 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
Segma Research HTML 36 5 30 26 3 0 ±4.6 pp 432 IVR
2008 Election http://www.electionprediction.org/2015_fed/riding/24035.php'''HTML''' 53 5 5 38 0 0 ±0.0 pp 51,395 Election

Lévis—Bellechasse

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Segma Research HTML 38 5 23 26 6 0 ±5.7 pp 300 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 46 15 11 25 3 0 ±0.0 pp 54,849 Election

Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Segma Research HTML 35 12 23 29 1 0 ±5.7 pp 300 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 47 13 13 25 2 0 ±0.0 pp 52,732 Election

Louis-Hébert

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 22 13 32 30 3 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 28 24 9 36 2 0 ±0.0 pp 58,529 Election

Louis-Saint-Laurent

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 37 8 37 17 1 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.electionprediction.org/2015_fed/riding/24035.php'''HTML''' 47 13 10 27 3 0 ±0.0 pp 50,966 Election

Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 0 8 31 28 3 29 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 0 16 13 32 3 36 ±0.0 pp 46,095 Election

Québec

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 15 10 34 34 6 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 26 18 12 42 3 0 ±0.0 pp 51,067 Election

Richmond—Arthabaska

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
Cara Telecom HTML 21 6 20 47 6 0 ±4.8 pp 420 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 29 13 9 46 3 1 ±0.0 pp 52,692 Election

Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 47 4 27 20 2 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
Segma Research HTML 54 5 11 28 2 0 ±4.6 pp 432 IVR
2008 Election http://www.electionprediction.org/2015_fed/riding/24035.php'''HTML''' 44 10 5 40 2 0 ±0.0 pp 37,307 Election

Trois-Rivières

Polling FirmLast Date
of Polling
LinkCons.LiberalNDPBQGreenOtherMargin
of Error
Sample
Size
class=unsortable Polling Method
CROP HTML 17 8 42 28 5 0 ±4.9 pp 400 IVR
2008 Election http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2008/default.html'''HTML''' 24 18 9 45 3 0 ±0.0 pp 39,579 Election

See also

Notes

Notes

In cases when linked poll details distinguish between the margin of error associated with the total sample of respondents (including undecided and non-voters) and that of the subsample of decided/leaning voters, the latter is included in the table. Also not included is the margin of error created by rounding to the nearest whole number or any margin of error from methodological sources. Most online polls—because of their opt-in method of recruiting panellists which results in a non-random sample—cannot have a margin of error.[1] In such cases, shown is what the margin of error would be for a survey using a random probability-based sample of equivalent size.[2]

Refers to the total sample size, including undecided and non-voters.

"Telephone" refers to traditional telephone polls conducted by live interviewers; "IVR" refers to automated Interactive Voice Response polls conducted by telephone; "online" refers to polls conducted exclusively over the internet; "telephone/online" refers to polls which combine results from both telephone and online surveys, or for which respondents are initially recruited by telephone and then asked to complete an online survey.

Notes and References

  1. News: MRIA Responds to "Evaluating the Polls: An Open Letter to Ontario's Journalists" . Marketing Research and Intelligence Association . September 16, 2011 . October 6, 2012.
  2. American Association for Public Opinion Research (undated), Best Practices for Survey and Public Opinion Research, retrieved October 17, 2012