(NEXSTAR) - As we draw closer to the 2024 presidential election, more political polls are being released, ranging from which candidate has an edge ahead of Nov. 5 to the top issues for voters.

If you have never participated in one of these surveys, you might wonder: Who's actually responding to pollsters, and how are they being contacted?

Polling practices have changed significantly over the past two decades, especially with the decline of landline usage. Traditional polling via telephone was once considered the "gold standard," Matt Taglia, senior director at Emerson College Polling, told Nexstar.

While dominant in the early 2000s, this polling method has dropped sharply since 2012, partly due to decreasing response rates, according to Pew Research.

A staggering 183 million Americans (7 in 10 U.S. adults) no longer use landlines and rely........

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