Time to End Exit Polling Releases

[MichFan]

I hope both parties can agree that the release of exit poll information while people are still voting is not good. We saw yesterday how this data can be manipulated and affect voters. As I mentioned several times here yesterday, the Dems were leaking poll numbers mid-day to IMHO stem the highly effective Republican GOTV. Some pundits this morning say that might have cost Kerry New Mexico due to possible voter complacency thinking their guy already won.

 

The most eggregious of the early exit poll numbers was Penssylvania at 60-40. If you haven't looked this morning, PA ended up being 51-49.

[nobody]

Agreed - exit polling should be limited to issues like how they feel about the economy etc. - not numbers on how they voted. The idea behind the polling is to get a feel of how America is thinking and feeling - if you want to know how they voted wait for the actual vote counts.

[VRWC]

Totally agree. I was not polled after voting, but I was thinking to myself that if I was polled I would give a false answer just to F&^% with the pollsters. I wonder how many did what I was thinking and totally screwed up the results.

[Wacka]

It also affected the stock market. It was up most of yesterday until the 4 PM exit polls came out. It ended down. Today, so far, it is way up.

I heard that the networks were taking them as gospel and were planning in the afternoon to call it for Kerry at about 10 PM.

[JimBob2232]

I dont believe its being released, but rather leaked.