Many of our lives were full of uncertainty in 2020. So when the calendar turned the page to 2021, I was expecting, or perhaps just hoping, for a year that brought with it happier storylines.

In these weeks following the 2020 election, the number one question I get asked about my work as a pollster is why the election results in many states seemed so different from the expectations from pre-election polling. When I answer, I always offer up four important facts to consider: