AP-KFF poll examines rural voters’ views of Trump

What the poll covers

A new AP-KFF poll focuses on how rural voters feel about Trump as the midterm elections approach. It is not directly connected to a specific race, election contest or list of candidates.

The poll’s subject alone does not establish whether rural voters’ views are favorable, unfavorable or divided. A clear description of their sentiment requires the poll’s results, including the share expressing each view and the exact questions respondents answered. Without those figures, assigning a direction or strength to rural opinion would go beyond what is established.

The distinction matters because a poll measures the responses of the people surveyed at a particular time. It is not a vote tally and does not determine what will happen in a later election.

What to examine

The primary poll record is the key document for understanding the findings. Its question wording shows what rural voters were asked, while the field dates identify when the responses were collected. The sample definition explains who was classified as a rural voter, and the methodology describes how the survey was conducted.

The results also need to be read in the categories the poll uses. Overall views of Trump, opinions about particular policies and assessments of personal circumstances are separate measures unless the poll combines them. Comparisons with other groups or earlier surveys require matching questions and methods. Those details determine what conclusions the poll supports as the midterms approach.