The Election of 1936: When ‘Democracy’ Was on the Ballot
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/10/04/the_election_of_1936_when_democracy_was_on_the_ballot_154558.html

It's seldom recalled these days, but when it is, the 1936 presidential election is best known for a stunning polling failure. Based on its massive mail-in survey, the Literary Digest magazine - the most accurate pollster of the time - predicted President Franklin Roosevelt would lose to Republican challenger Alf Landon.
It didn't turn out that way. Roosevelt swept to reelection and the Literary Digest, which erred by almost 20 points in predicting Landon's victory, never conducted another poll. It remains a testament to election polling gone bad.
Ninety years on, the 1936 election resonates...