Answer:
Congressman Smith will defeat Challenger Jones
Step-by-step explanation:
Since the poll has a +/- 3% margin of error, the minimum and maximum possible percentages for each candidate are:
(44% - 3%) ≤ Jones ≤ (44% + 3%)
41% ≤ Jones ≤ 47%
(54% - 3%) ≤ Smith ≤ (54% + 3%)
51% ≤ Smith ≤ 57%
This means that, even in the worst possible scenario for Congressman Smith, he would still beat Jones with 51% against 47% of the votes. The pollster can safely predict that Congressman Smith will defeat Challenger Jones
.