Tag: Tracking polls

On August 10th, a Times/Siena poll found that Kamala Harris was leading Donald Trump in three key “swing states” for the presidency, generating significant attention online. However, as polling becomes a centrepiece of political discussions, it's essential to think critically about the elements of a survey to understand how reliable its results – and reporting – really are. To help us navigate this complex landscape, DS Account Manager Gabriel Helfant sat down with Rosalie Nadeau, our VP of Insights at DS. Rosalie has run hundreds of research polls in over 50 countries, including during elections at multiple levels of government. She shared her expertise on how we can better understand and interpret polls during this high-stakes election year.

Canada is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. Renters and owners alike have seen their housing costs rise consistently, leading many to question how we got here, and what we can do to make housing more affordable. We conducted an online, nationally representative survey among 1,000 Canadians in March 2023 to gauge how Canadians feel about the housing affordability crisis, and which policies they think are most effective at addressing it.

The new guidelines made headlines in Canada and abroad, generating a public debate about what this meant for people’s relationships with drinking, social habits and perceptions of risk associated with it. In light of these new guidelines, DS conducted an online survey among Canadians in March to understand their perceptions of these new rules and their intent to follow them in the future. Will Canadians really limit themselves to two weekly alcohol drinks?

Recently, public safety issues have gained considerable attention among policymakers and everyday Canadians. For instance, random stranger attacks in Vancouver became a focal point of the city’s 2022 municipal election campaign, while debates over gun control continue at the federal level. With this in mind, we believe it is important to understand how everyday Canadians perceive issues like violent crime, random attacks, and vandalism in their communities, as well as why these issues arise and who bears responsibility for solving them. These perceptions can influence individual behaviour and institutional decision-making, and can significantly impact trust in and satisfaction with government and law enforcement.

The Greyhound project is a DS-led, always-running research polling project across Canada that allows to regularly ask Canadians about a variety of current events, understudied issues, and other research curiosities. Greyhound is our space to innovate, contribute to public opinion research in Canada, and share our findings with a wider public.