ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Exit poll

Exit polls are like a way to ask people how they voted on election day. Think of it like asking your friends what they thought about your favorite movie after it ended. But instead of a movie, it's about who they voted for in the election.

Pollsters (people who conduct the surveys) stand outside of polling places and ask voters to answer questions about who they voted for and why. They usually ask questions like "who did you vote for president?" or "what issues were most important to you when voting today?"

The pollsters then take all of the answers they received and use them to create a prediction of who will win the election. This prediction can help people understand what voters are thinking and which candidates are doing well or not so well.

It's important to remember that exit polls are just predictions though, and they can be wrong. So it's always best to wait until all the votes are counted to see who actually wins the election.