Jennifer Agiesta

Jennifer Agiesta is the Director of Polling and Election Analytics at CNN, a position she has held since January 2015. Based in CNN's Washington bureau, she leads the network's polling team, overseeing both the conduct and reporting of polls, as well as heading the Election Night Decision Desk. Agiesta has significantly modernized CNN's polling methodologies and standards for reporting, making them more aligned with contemporary practices in survey research and public opinion analysis.12

Professional Background

• Previous Roles: Before joining CNN, Agiesta served as the director of polling at the Associated Press, where she managed a small polling unit conducting both domestic and international surveys. She has also worked at The Washington Post and was involved in building the National Election Pool exit poll operation at Edison Research. Additionally, her early career included roles focused on messaging research with firms such as Belden, Russonello & Stewart and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner.125

• Leadership in Research: Agiesta is recognized as a leader in survey research and public opinion. She served as the president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) from 2023 to 2024 and participated in evaluating pre-election polling for the 2020 elections.123

Education

Agiesta holds a bachelor's degree in politics and journalism from Washington and Lee University. She is originally from Long Island, New York.25

Current Focus

Agiesta's work is particularly crucial as CNN adapts its polling strategies ahead of the 2024 elections, aiming to address past inaccuracies observed during previous election cycles. She emphasizes the importance of evolving methodologies to better capture public sentiment in today's diverse communication landscape.34