 But even those types of polls can seem suspicious. How can you get an accurate sample when so few of us actually pick up strange numbers calling our phones? Are pollsters putting their fingers on the scales? I called up Ann Selzer because I wanted to hear from her how polling actually works now, how the polls know what they know. Selzer is one of the best people to explain that. Her company does the polling for the Des Moines Register, and over the years, she's established a track record for accuracy.