In 2016, the polls got it wrong. They failed to predict that Donald Trump was winning key battleground states. But a startup in San Francisco says it spotted it well in advance, not because of the “enthusiasm gap” — Republicans turning out and Democrats staying at home. Instead, the startup Brigade’s data pointed to a big crossover effect: Democrats voting for Trump in droves.
The company built an app that asks a simple question: Which candidate are you going to vote for?
It’s like what boots-on-the-ground organizers do. Though there is one big difference. In the physical world, most people aren’t wearing their candidate button for the 18 months leading up to the election.
Source: An App Called Brigade Saw Trump Winning Swing States When Polls Didn’t : All Tech Considered : NPR