Washington, D.C. - Today, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and progressive political community Daily Kos announced a new polling partnership that will run through the 2012 election cycle.

Starting today, Daily Kos' weekly poll is now the Daily Kos/SEIU Weekly State of the Nation Poll by Public Policy Polling. Visitors to www.dailykos.com will find the site wrapped with SEIU ads to announce the partnership between the two organizations. The organizations will conduct joint issue and horserace polling around national issues and in key electoral states and races.

"We continue to work to ensure our members have their voices heard in the political process and honest, objective polling plays an important role in identifying the issues that concern working families and the politicians that can best advocate for working people," said SEIU National Political Director Brandon Davis. "This partnership helps our members continue their efforts to improve the lives of workers and their families and create a more just and humane society."

"Daily Kos is committed to advancing a new generation of progressive activists across the country and partnering with the 2.2 million members of SEIU is a huge step forward for everyone," said Daily Kos publisher Markos Moulitsas. "Rather than sit around and have know-nothing pundits and politicians in DC tell us what the American people think, we prefer to ask them directly. And this partnership will allow us to conduct significantly more polling than any other media organization in the country."

Polling results, conducted by respected pollster Public Policy Polling, are published every Tuesday morning at www.dailykos.com/weeklytrends. All raw data will continue to be included in the results to ensure an unprecedented level of polling transparency.

The polls will test President Obama's approval and favorability numbers every week and will also poll the favorability of Boehner, Pelosi, Congressional Democrats, Congressional Republicans, the generic congressional ballot and direction of the country one week, then poll Reid, McConnell, the GOP, the Democratic Party, President Obama's reelection prospects and a voter intensity question the following week. Each poll will feature two additional issues - or current events questions. Electoral polling will be conducted throughout in key races as determined by both organizations.

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