Washington Post Opinions yesterday launched the “Post Opinions Simulator,” an interactive tool that allows readers to design their own 2020 Democratic primary and caucus scenarios to see a likely range of outcomes. In this simulator, users can adjust data including polling averages, fundraising numbers, the amount of time left until Election Day and more to explore and better understand how elections work.
Powered by a proprietary and mathematically rigorous predictive model, the Post Opinions Simulator will allow users to position five candidates against each other, change where they think candidates will stand in the polls and see what the spread might look like on the day votes are cast if that happens, and simulate changes in fundraising numbers. The simulator then runs 10,000 versions of the election based on the selected scenario and explains the most likely outcomes under the conditions chosen and how realistic it is.
The Post Opinions Simulator will take readers through the Iowa Caucus, New Hampshire primary, Super Tuesday and other pivotal moments of the campaign trail.
