The Evolving Landscape of Election Polls: Challenges, Biases, and Innovations in a Polarized World

WAPOR 78th Annual Conference Program


Conference Sponsors

DayTimeRoomSessions
Monday, May 12 – Day 108:00-09:00Registration DepotRegistration desk is open
Monday, May 12 – Day 109:00-12:00Station Master Room
Conductor Room 		Training workshops: morning session

Web Development for Researchers with WordPressRoom: Station Master Room, First Floor

Developing Distress Protocols for Survey Research RespondentsRoom: Conductor Room, First Floor

Monday, May 12 – Day 109:00-12:00FriscoCouncil meeting (by invitation)
Monday, May 12 – Day 112:00-13:00Regency BCoffee break
Monday, May 12 – Day 112:00-13:00Registration DepotRegistration desk is open
Monday, May 12 – Day 113:00-16:00Station Master Room
Conductor Room 		Training workshops: afternoon session

Data Analysis After Record LinkageRoom: Station Master Room, First Floor

Considering Questionnaire Design through Multiple Theoretical LensesRoom: Conductor Room, First Floor

Monday, May 12 – Day 113:00-15:00FriscoWAPOR and regional chapters meeting (by invitation)
Monday, May 12 – Day 115:00-17:00Registration DepotRegistration desk is open
Monday, May 12 – Day 117:00-19:30Hotel barEvening Cocktail (optional, extra cost)
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 208:00-16:00Registration DepotRegistration desk is open
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 209:00-09:30Regency CConference Opening and Presidential Address

Wolfgang Aschauer, WAPOR Conference Chair
Christian Haerpfer, WAPOR President
Colin Irwin, WAPOR Vice-President

Tuesday, May 13 – Day 209:30-10:30Regency CKey-note lecture “The Emergence of the “Illiberal” Voter? Comparative Analysis of American and Global Elections 2016–2024”
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 210:30-11:00Regency BCoffee break
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 211:00-12:30Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Frisco
Burlington		Concurrent sessions I


Session Name: The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP): Comparative Public Opinion Research and Survey Methods in a Polarized WorldSession ID: 2
Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Egle Butkeviciene
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Global Perspectives on DemocracySession ID: 12
Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Timothy Johnson
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Survey Frames from Gridded Population Datasets - Recent Advances & ExperiencesSession ID: 1


Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Dale Rhoda
Room: Frisco Room, Second Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Social and Political Trust in Public OpinionSession ID: 16
Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Carsten Broich
Room: Burlington Route, Second Floor
Papers:
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 212:30-13:30Break
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 213:30-15:00Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Frisco
Burlington		Concurrent sessions II


Session Name: The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP): Historical Perspective and Methodological Opportunities for the Evolving Landscape of Comparative Social ResearchSession ID: 3
Time: 13:30-15:00
Session Chair: Rene Bautista
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Public Opinion in Cross-National PerspectiveSession ID: 23
Time: 13:30-15:00
Session Chair: Claire Durand
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Social Media and Public Opinion ResearchSession ID: 17
Time: 13:30-15:00
Session Chair: Nathaniel Stone
Room: Frisco Room, Second Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Digital Media and Public Opinion ResearchSession ID: 18
Time: 13:30-15:00
Session Chair: Alejandro Diaz-Dominguez
Room: Burlington Route, Second Floor
Papers:
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 215:00-15:30Regency BCoffee break
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 215:30-17:00Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Frisco		Concurrent sessions III


Session Name: Electoral Polls Around the WorldSession ID: 15
Time: 15:30-17:00
Session Chair: Ioannis Andreadis
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Artificial Intelligence in Public Opinion ResearchSession ID: 14
Time: 15:30-17:00
Session Chair: Luis Herrero Corona
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Getting to Know Interviewers - Methodological Innovations in Interviewer-Administered SettingsSession ID: 10
Time: 15:30-17:00
Session Chair: Sharan Sharma
Room: Frisco Room, Second Floor
Papers:
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 217:00-18:00Regency CKey-note roundtable “Elections Worldwide: Challenges and Innovations”
Tuesday, May 13 – Day 219:30-22:00Regency CAwards banquet

Please join your peers for a delicious sit-down dinner and to celebrate this year's amazing award winners.

Wednesday, May 14 – Day 308:00-16:00Registration DepotRegistration desk is open
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 309:00-10:30Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Regency C (joint) 		Concurrent sessions IV


Session Name: Understanding Public Attitudes in AsiaSession ID: 21
Time: 09:00-10:30
Session Chair: Satoko Yasuno
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Methodological Frontiers in Survey ResearchSession ID: 31
Time: 09:00-10:30
Session Chair: Tamas Bodor
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Pre-Election Polls Around the WorldSession ID: 5
AAPOR-WAPOR Joint Track
Time: 09:00-10:30
Session Chair: Christian Haerpfer
Room: Regency C
Papers:
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 310:45-12:15Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Regency C (joint)		Concurrent sessions V


Session Name: Survey Methodology: Innovations and Applications in International SettingsAAPOR-WAPOR Joint Track
https://aapor.confex.com/aapor/2025/meetingapp.cgi/Session/2045
Session Chair: Kelly Dixon, Nielsen
Room: Regency C
Papers:
  • Evaluating AI-Driven Telephone Surveys: Insights from Experimental TestingMitchell Leon, Stephen Raynes, Jenny Marlar, Rajesh Srinivasan, Les DeBusk-Lane (Gallup)
  • Making Membership Meaningful: Strategies for Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Commitment Among Probability-Based PanelistsAnna Lethborg, Benjamin Phillips, Dina Neiter (The Social Research Centre)
  • The Challenges and Opportunities of Changing Data Collection Mode in a Cross-National General Social SurveyRory Fitzgerald, Tim Hanson (City University London), Nathan Reece (European Social Survey)
  • Research Synthesis: Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) in Low and Middle-Income Countries through a Total Survey Error FrameworkCharles Lau (GeoPoll), Abigail Greenleaf (Columbia University), Huguette Diakabana (Independent Consultant)
  • Revisiting Interviewer Effects from a Multilingual Perspective - Evidence from a Zambian Face-to-Face SurveyP. Linh Nguyen (University of Essex – University of Manheim)
  • Methodology for Assessing Dogs’ Population Size: A Practical Framework for Improved Management and CareElmogiera Elawad, Mohamed Agied (Qatar University), Muzzamel Atta, Mahmoud Mohammed, Mohammed Osman Khalifa (Data Management Center)


Session Name: WAPOR's Transparency and Disclosure Standards: A Work in ProgressSession ID: 9
At a time marked by controversies over accuracy and replicability in survey research, along with the prevalence of a range of emerging methods, transparency in the research enterprise had taken on increasing relevance, even urgency. WAPOR has responded by creating a Special Committee on Transparency to assess the association’s current disclosure standards, research best practices and produce a set of recommendations for policy going forward. Members of this committee – Robert Chung (immediate past president), Tim Johnson (past president), Gary Langer (special committee chair), Sunghee Lee (standards chair), and Rico Neumann (publications chair), along with Porismita Borah (editor-in-chief) or another representative of IJPOR - will discuss the committee’s initial work and solicit comments and suggestions from the WAPOR membership.


Time: 10:45-12:15
Session Chair: Gary Langer
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor

Session Name: Polls and Their Role in the Modern EraSession ID: 24
Time: 10:45-12:15
Session Chair: Christian Haerpfer
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 312:15-13:45Break
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 313:45-14:45Grand BallroomJoint AAPOR/WAPOR Opening Plenary: How 2024 Election Polls Performed & Informed
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 314:45-15:45Regency BCoffee break & poster session


Posters:
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 315:45-17:15Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Regency C (joint) 		Concurrent sessions VI


Session Name: Attitudes toward AI Around the WorldAAPOR-WAPOR Joint Track
https://aapor.confex.com/aapor/2025/meetingapp.cgi/Session/2044
Session Chair: Thomas Roessing, TRG
Room: Regency C
Papers:
  • Breaking Down Public Opinion on Artificial Intelligence Issues through the Application of Need for Orientation in Agenda-Setting TheorySeohyun An (Ewha Woman’s University)
  • Excitement Vs Concern over Increased Use of AI in Los Angeles CountyBrianne Gilbert, Maricia Marquez, Chhandosi Roy (Loyola Marymount University)
  • Trends in Awareness, Usage, and Perceptions of Large Language Models in the U.S. PopulationMarco Angrisani, Maria Casanova, Nathanael Fast, Jimmy Narang (USC), Juliana Schroeder (UC Berkeley)
  • Consumer Perspectives on Enterprise Uses of AINoemi Altman, Tess Yanisch (Consumer Reports)
  • Emerging Themes in Americans’ Views of Artificial IntelligenceAlec Tyson, Emma Kikuchi (Pew Research Center)


Session Name: Survey Modes and Mode EffectsSession ID: 25
Time: 15:45-17:15
Session Chair: Jonathan Evans
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: AI, Inequality, and Social CohesionSession ID: 20
Time: 15:45-17:15
Session Chair: Mariel Leonard
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:
Wednesday, May 14 – Day 317:30-19:00Midway East, WestAAPOR-WAPOR Joint Welcome Reception

Sip, nosh and stroll in the exhibit hall to learn more about AAPOR's chapters, affinity groups, exhibitors, and sponsors, plus network with WAPOR attendees as well!

Thursday, May 15 – Day 407:30-08:30Midway WestContinental breakfast
Thursday, May 15 – Day 408:00-15:00Registration DepotRegistration desk is open
Thursday, May 15 – Day 408:30-10:00Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Regency C (joint) 		Concurrent sessions VII


Session Name: Decreasing Trust and Increasing Partisanship: Attitudes towards Media, Brands, & DrugsAAPOR-WAPOR Joint Track
https://aapor.confex.com/aapor/2025/meetingapp.cgi/Session/1915
Session Chair: Rajesh Srinivasan, Gallup
Room: Regency C
Papers:
  • Does Social Media Fact-Checking Increase Conspiracy Beliefs? an Experimental StudyAndrea Carson, Timothy B. Gravelle, Mathew Marques (La Trobe University), Justin Phillips (University of Waikato)
  • Opposition to Overdose Prevention Sites and Decriminalization of Personal Possession of Illicit Drugs in a Conservative Great Plains StatePatrick Habecker, Rick A Bevins (University of Nebraska, Lincoln)
  • Americans’ Historically Low Confidence in the Media: Beyond the ToplineMegan Brenan, Lydia Saad (Gallup)
  • Defining News & Journalism in a Digital Information EnvironmentSamuel Jens, Jay Barchas-Lichtenstein (Center for News, Technology & Innovation)
  • Media Trust and Information Quality in the Digital AgeKirsten Eddy, Katerina Matsa (Pew Research Center)


Session Name: The Power of the Youth Vote: A Deliberative Look at Young AmericaSession ID: 7
Time: 08:30-10:00
Session Chair: Alice Siu
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Digital Tools and Global GovernanceSession ID: 30
Time: 08:30-10:00
Session Chair: Femke De Keulenaer
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:
Thursday, May 15 – Day 410:00-11:00Regency BCoffee break
Thursday, May 15 – Day 411:00-12:30Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Regency C (joint) 		Concurrent sessions VIII


Session Name: Electoral Polls Around the WorldSession ID: 13
Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Thomas Roessing
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: AI Governance from the Global Majority: Deliberative Voices from India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and NigeriaSession ID: 8
Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Alice Siu
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Methodological Issues in Cross National PollsSession ID: 4
AAPOR-WAPOR Joint Track
Time: 11:00-12:30
Session Chair: Chase Harrison
Room: Regency C
Papers:
Thursday, May 15 – Day 412:30-14:00Break
Thursday, May 15 – Day 414:00-15:30Station Master Room
Conductor Room
Regency C (joint) 		Concurrent sessions IX


Session Name: Understanding Response and Nonresponse in SurveysSession ID: 27
Time: 14:00-15:30
Session Chair: Meagan Doll
Room: Station Master Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Innovations in Survey Methods and SamplingSession ID: 29
Time: 14:00-15:30
Session Chair: Gary Langer
Room: Conductor Room, First Floor
Papers:

Session Name: Understanding Public Opinion on Engaging Generative AI: Multi-Country Deliberative Poll with MetaSession ID: 6
AAPOR-WAPOR Joint Track
Time: 14:00-15:30
Session Chair: Alice Siu
Room: Regency C
Papers:
Thursday, May 15 – Day 415:30-16:00Regency BCoffee break
Thursday, May 15 – Day 416:00-17:30Regency CWAPOR Business Meeting & Closing Ceremony