The Battleground Poll is a national bipartisan survey that has been reliably measuring political opinion among registered voters in the United States for nearly thirty years. Produced by Republican strategist Ed Goeas of The Tarrance Group and Democratic strategist Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners, this polling series offers unique polling analysis and insights from two top pollsters from different sides of the aisle. Now that the poll is housed at GU Politics, it features a special section on civility.
GU Politics released a special edition of the Civility Poll on January 13—one week before the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden. Follow the link below to view the full press release with detailed results, individual summaries from Lake Research Partners and The Tarrance Group, and our full dataset.
Explore Poll Results
GU Politics became the home of the Battleground Poll in early 2019, with the first poll under GU Politics released in April 2019. This poll was specifically designed to capture how voters see the other side of the aisle. It investigates trends in demographics and voter attitudes, and investigates where independent voters stand on candidates and contemporary issues. The Battleground Poll presents conclusions from the same dataset through the perspectives of Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group.
After the Battleground Poll became a part of GU Politics, a second component to the Battleground Poll was developed to specifically measure and track voter attitudes on civility in politics. The Civility Poll looks at opinions of registered voters on the state of civility in our national political conversation, painting a long-term picture of how Americans view compromise and common ground in the political arena.
Ed Goeas, President of The Tarrance Group, and Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners, are leaders in developing, analyzing, and publishing the Battleground Poll.
Meet The PollstersGU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee broke down the major findings from our August 2020 Battleground Poll on Morning Joe.
GU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee sat down with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and former Fellow Michael Steel to discuss some of the highlights found in the April 2019 Battleground Poll.
Battleground Poll, News Clips
The Washington Examiner: Trump reelection hinges on economy, say Battleground pollsters
In presenting their highly anticipated “Battleground Poll” last week, Democrat Celinda Lake and Republican Ed Goeas said that even amid the coronavirus crisis, it is the economy that is tops on the minds of voters.
August 19, 2020
Battleground Poll, News Clips
Real Clear Politics: Can We Detoxify the Discourse?
For the past year and a half, the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service Civility Poll has been tracking voter attitudes on polarization and civility in politics. And while the data shows voters believe the hole in our political discourse is deepening, it also reveals a roadmap on how we can begin to dig out of it.
August 26, 2020
Battleground Poll, News Clips
The Wall Street Journal: Why Kamala Harris May Be a Tough Target for Republicans
Ms. Harris’ pick by Mr. Biden makes her the first Black woman and the first woman of Asian descent nominated for vice president by a major party. But Republican and Democratic strategists say one of the California senator’s most defining characteristics—and now a potential strength—may be that she’s hard to define: at one time a hard-charging prosecutor, and at another, a champion of progressive causes.
August 19, 2020
