It turns out, not that accurate. After all, when a now-deceased gorilla is almost tied with an actual human being in Texas, it’s time to take a look at what you’re putting out there in terms of poll numbers. But who is accurate? It turns out, everyone’s favorite 140-character social media platform is producing some of the most measurable numbers on the election. No, Twitter’s poll function is not the best way to find out who is going to win the election. However, a study from Indiana University has shown that, quite simply, more tweets means more votes. Whether it’s good or bad, happy or sad, candidates receiving the most attention on social media, specifically Twitter, are most likely to enjoy success in the political race. The study also showed that not only is social media a surprisingly effective means of producing accurate polling numbers, it also provides a unique opportunity to become the only way of producing polling numbers. As traditional means of polling continue to struggle, alternative means, like social media, are becoming more and more ripe for the new development. And there are dozens of other reasons to make it happen. Whether Twitter and Facebook become the primary means of measuring candidate interest in the future remains to be seen. But with this kind of conclusive data and record numbers of users, social media could featured on CNN and FOX a lot more than it already is. Photo: Flickr / John Keane