Mark Balnaves

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Polls show Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten locked in a tight race as the election campaign nears its end. Mick Tsikas/AAP

How political opinion polls affect voter behaviour

Mark Balnaves, University of Newcastle

When the everyday punter sees or hears opinion polls, many might believe that their fellow punters are indeed evenly split on their voting intentions.
Coal seam gas has proved a hot topic ahead of the NSW election, not only on the campaign trail but also on social media, where a ‘social mood reader’ can reveal the depth of community feeling. NewZulu/Tony Markham/AAP

Finding new ways to track voters’ moods, beyond polls and punters

Mark Balnaves, University of Newcastle

Beyond polls and betting markets, how else can we gauge how people feel ahead of future elections? Social media is a goldmine, and one of the newer ways to tap into it is with a “social mood reader”.

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