NYT-Siena polls show Democratic edges in seven Senate races

What the polls found

Democratic candidates held polling edges over Republican candidates in seven competitive Senate races before Tuesday’s election, New York Times-Siena University polling released Sunday found. Most of the seven contests were statistical ties, meaning the polling did not show a clear separation between the parties.

Michigan stood apart from the closer contests, with the Democratic side holding an 11-point lead in that race. The polling identifies differences in voter preference before Election Day, but it is not an election result. Voters’ ballots determine the final outcome after they are counted.

The seven polling leads also should not be read as seven settled contests. A statistical tie indicates that either side could be ahead within the poll’s range of uncertainty, even when the reported figures place one candidate slightly in front.

What it means for voters

For voters focused on education, a preference poll answers a different question from a policy comparison. It measures which candidate respondents support; it does not by itself define what candidates would do about schools, education funding, teachers or student services.

The next step is Tuesday’s voting and ballot-counting process. Polling offers a snapshot of opinion before that process is complete. Official results come from election authorities after votes are cast, counted and reported, and close contests may take longer to resolve than races with wider margins.