Are voters misleading pollsters? Are there hidden Donald Trump supporters who could throw the election his way?

Over the past few years, we have both become interested in how data from the internet, particularly Google searches, might be used to predict events. People also tell Google things — a lot of things — that they may not admit to others. So can we use Google searches to predict whom voters will support in this election? It is not as simple as we’d hoped.

One indicator of support might be how frequently people search for a candidate. There is some evidence that if they search for you, they will vote for you. In primary elections, Google search volume for a candidate in a state has predicted electoral outcomes. It is also true that in each of the past three general elections, the candidate with the most Google searches — George W. Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 — received the most votes.

This time around, nationwide, for every Google search about Hillary Clinton, there are two for Mr. Trump. Does this mean that there is widespread support for Mr. Trump that is being missed by pollsters and will carry him to a commanding victory? Highly doubtful.