The Hudson Library & Historical Society will host a live virtual streaming event with data journalist and U.S. Correspondent for The Economist G. Elliott Morris, who will discuss his latest book, Strength in Numbers: How Polls Work and Why We Need Them, an essential guide to understanding and embracing one of the most important and overlooked democratic institutions in the United States. This program is generously funded by the Bodden Memorial Fund.   

In a vibrant history of polling, Morris takes readers from the first semblance of data-gathering in the ancient world through to the development of modern-day scientific polling. He explains how the internet and “big data” have solved many challenges in polling―and created others. He covers the rise of polling aggregation and methods of election forecasting, reveals how data can be distorted and misrepresented, and demystifies the real uncertainty of polling. Candidly acknowledging where polls have gone wrong in the past, Morris charts a path for the industry’s future where it can truly work for the people.

G. Elliott Morris is a data journalist and United States correspondent for The Economist, where he writes on a range of topics including American politics, elections, and public opinion. Elliott studied political science and history at the University of Texas at Austin. He began forecasting elections when he was 19. He continues to write about politics and government, public opinion, and statistics.