Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Need for 'Untouchable Exit Polls' for future elections

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (01/01/06 through 01/22/2007) Donate to DU
 
Kansas Wyatt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:47 AM
Original message
Need for 'Untouchable Exit Polls' for future elections
Is there any way that 'We The People' can organize and/or implement exit polls for future elections that have no connections to the government or any establishment, to guarantee accurate elections?

Would there be a way to get funding for this, without strings attached for completely unbiased exit polls?

The reason I ask, is that in past elections, exit pollsters probably have been leaned on to match the "official" results, which taints a guarantee for accuracy and ruins arguments to protest a fixed election or election fraud. It seems that we are in need of exit polls to give an absolute accurate as possible accounting of how people voted to ensure the quality of our elections, without any influence from the government and establishment, to fall in line with the "official" claim.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
Atman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:49 AM
Response to Original message
1. I've often wondered the same thing...
Why do exit polls have to be conducted by the same consortium of media outlets? Why not Quinnipaic University, which is so good at polling and already has the structure in place? Or any major university in any state?

It's come to the point where we're not only allowing the GOP to steal the elections, we're allowing them to run the polling that says they didn't steal 'em, too. It's totally broken system!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Stephanie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:51 AM
Response to Original message
2. they did it in Yugoslavia
and when the polls didn't match the vote they called a national strike.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Bacchus39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:51 AM
Response to Original message
3. exit polls are accurate???
aren't exit polls just a survey of people who tell who they voted for AFTER they already voted. they can tell you anything, it doesn't mean they actually voted for the person they say they voted for.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
CJCRANE Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:57 AM
Response to Reply #3
8. They're a lot more accurate
than normal polls precisely because they ask people who have actually voted (not people who could or might vote). Thus the margin of error is much smaller than normal opinion polls. Exit polls are generally used (successfully) to monitor for election fraud in developing countries.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Bacchus39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 12:00 PM
Response to Reply #8
10. fine, but it is no substitute for an accurate count of the actual vote
I can refuse to participate in the exit poll and I can lie as well. so its not going to be perfect correlation with the actual vote.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
goclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 11:07 AM
Response to Reply #3
14. Why would I want to lie?


I would like to see it done anyway.


I would have been delighted to tell anyone that I just voted for Clinton, Gore or Kerry.

I have worked the polls for the last two elections and from the feeling that I got, there were very few that would not have gladly told me who they voted for ~ Republican or Democrat.

Can't we have a margin of error?
We MUST do something!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Sammy Pepys Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:51 AM
Response to Original message
4. Just organize
Get a clipboard, stand outside the polling place, and do it that way. Asking for funding, especially from the government, is asking for trouble. If it's a matter of sheer numbers and not actually tallying answers that's even easier.

I don't know that exit polling is the best insurance for accurate elections though. I've never answered an exit pollster truthfully.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
goclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Mar-09-06 11:08 AM
Response to Reply #4
15. Why wouldn't you answer truthfully?

Were you not proud of who you voted for?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mayberry Machiavelli Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:53 AM
Response to Original message
5. It doesn't matter as long is this bunch is in power. They'll simply deny
Edited on Tue Mar-07-06 11:53 AM by Mayberry Machiavelli
the validity of the exit polls. They already did as much with 2004.

Exit polls will only help America if there is BINDING LEGISLATION giving them a role in the process, mandating recounts or revotes in the event of discrepancy beyond a certain amounts, and the polling administered by some agreed upon outside entity.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Bacchus39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:56 AM
Response to Reply #5
7. that's ridiculous
again, people can say anything about the person or issue they say they voted for after they actually voted. Exit polls will never be as "accurate" as the actual vote.


the only way to get an accurate approximation of the actual vote would be to take a sample of the actual vote.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Mayberry Machiavelli Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 12:08 PM
Response to Reply #7
12. The only real solution is not exit polls, but as you said, to have an
audit of the vote.

Example: If we use computer voting, each vote generates a paper ballot that the voter inspects and is put into locked ballot box.

A certain, mandated, random percentage of polling sites are surprise audited, count of all paper ballots checked against the reported vote.

If discrepancies beyond some legally mandated amount occur, full recount or revote must occur. This must be mandated by legislation. Furthermore, an outside body must be agreed upon to do the auditing and the audits must be binding.

Of course to do this would be to acknowledge we have a serious problem with the integrity of the vote in America. I'm not seeing such an acknowledgement, in mainstream media.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Norquist Nemesis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:55 AM
Response to Original message
6. I'm willing to buy two or three reams of paper
and sit at a table outside of my polling place. I'll even pitch in for an opaque plastic container with a hole cut in the cover exactly like the one's we've seen used for voting in Iraq and Afghanistan! I also have no problem footing the cost for copies of the ballot.

Then, while sitting outside the polling place, asking people to secure a verified vote initiative by recording their choices and dropping it into the box. Explaining that the action will verify without a doubt whether the electronic machines they just voted on accurately counted their vote.

However, I have no doubt that the church where I vote would call the sheriff and have me booted off the property. :(
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Kansas Wyatt Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 12:01 PM
Response to Reply #6
11. The church being a polling place is another problem
Years ago it made sense, since it was usually a building of community gathering, without many other buildings that everyone in the community had access to.

Today, we have schools and local government buildings that could be used, instead of places where religious groups have motives to tamper and defraud.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Norquist Nemesis Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 12:20 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. Oh, they use the schools here too
Within walking distance of my polling place, a school is used. In the 2004 election, the school housed TWO polling places and voters had to make certain when voting that they were in the 'correct' line. BTW, one of those went for Kerry. (GOP stronghold around here. :( )

http://eh.robis.net/uploads/JID37_2004_11_results_Naperville.pdf
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
goclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Mar-07-06 11:58 AM
Response to Original message
9. Yea! K and R

What are the requirements for an exit pollster?

I have said since the last selection that I wanted to get certified.

In my opinion, especially in Urban/Minority areas, there should be someone that is willing to have all voters that wish to,sign a document, when they exit, that says WHO they voted for ~

I sure would be willing to sign!

I also believe if we could have a roving "POLLSTER BRIGADE" that would roll up and scare the hell out of the Blackwells that want to mess with those votes!

Don't flame me, just putting a wild idea out there!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Tue May 07th 2024, 09:22 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (01/01/06 through 01/22/2007) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC