Election polling is unlike any other kind of public opinion research, because you can measure your work against a known result – the actual tally of ballots cast. It means that when The Associated Press debuted AP VoteCast in the 2018 midterm elections, we’d know by the end of Election Day if our replacement for the in-person exit poll was a success.

Speaking to technology industry executives at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on Wednesday, Executive Editor Sally Buzbee addressed AP’s election coverage, trust around polling and the accuracy of AP’s new voter survey in telling the story of the U.S. midterm elections.

The 2018 AP Stylebook will include a new chapter on polls and surveys, adding details to help journalists report responsibly on public opinion research heading into the U.S. midterm elections.

A new study by the Media Insight Project, a joint effort by the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, reveals what motivates readers to pay for news, offering publishers insight into the new media landscape.