Should exit polls be illegal?

[Stelliform]

We all know that the whole reason that you don't hold an election twice is that the second election's results are skewed because of the first election results.

We have also heard the arguments, Florida is in two time zones and the later zone has incredibly low turn out. (Presumably since the election has mostly been called in the earlier timezone.) (and lets not forget about Alaska and Hawaii.)

So what is your opinion on exit polls and releasing state wide results before everyone has voted.

My opinion: All results in a national election, exit polls and official results, should be withheld until every polling station is closed. (including Hawaii) I can wait until the next day to start hearing the results. And I think this would drastically change the results of the elections. Thoughts?

[mactastic]

Yeah, no numbers released until all the polling places close. Even those in Hawaii. If you are that much of a junkie, you'll just have to stay up all night and wait to hear. A situation where the national election has been called early on could depress the voting on the local issues that are so important to, well, locals.

As to exit polls, I'd like to see an independant exit poll done that can be compared to the official results, sort of like a check to make sure everything is on the up-and-up. If the independant exit polls are wildly off the official numbers there is cause for concern. If they match pretty closely, everything probably went relatively well. Helps keep honest people honest.

[skunk]

As to exit polls, I'd like to see an independant exit poll done that can be compared to the official results, sort of like a check to make sure everything is on the up-and-up. If the independant exit polls are wildly off the official numbers there is cause for concern. If they match pretty closely, everything probably went relatively well. Helps keep honest people honest.
Apart from preferring them to be independent polls, that sounds like an excellent idea! And no peeking!

[mactastic]

Sheesh... damn spelling police everywhere!

Hey Skunk, didn't I see you soliciting prostitutes last week? I have several eyewitness who will swear that they were there and saw you do it. OK, well not THERE specifically, but they were somewhere and they saw something and are willing to testify to that fact... ;)

Maybe that will distract the spelling police long enough for me to make a break for it. So long suckers!

[skunk]

I have a choice of organic, GM-free alibis I keep in my fridge for just such occasions... :D
Anyway, I'm pleading the 5th (and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, for that matter)

[macsrus]

Sheesh... damn spelling police everywhere!

Hey Skunk, didn't I see you soliciting prostitutes last week? I have several eyewitness who will swear that they were there and saw you do it. OK, well not THERE specifically, but they were somewhere and they saw something and are willing to testify to that fact... ;)

Maybe that will distract the spelling police long enough for me to make a break for it. So long suckers!

Hey Skunk didnt do it.... and the sheep are lying.

[skunk]

Only because they can no longer stand...

[macsrus]

Only because they can no longer stand...


????

[skunk]

Well, I thought I'd better say it before someone else did :rolleyes:

[macsrus]

Yeah, no numbers released until all the polling places close. Even those in Hawaii. If you are that much of a junkie, you'll just have to stay up all night and wait to hear.

I have to admit I'm an election night junky....
I can take it either way.... although exit Polls may depress voting, I'm not convinced that there has ever been any conclusive data to prove it.

But just to make the loser not whine about it... Then I'm all for waiting...

[blackfox]

oh...that's what exit polls are...

I thought it was going to be polls set up to track the exodus of people from the US to Canada and Europe if/when Bush was re-elected...or of elderly going to Canada or Mexico for reasonable pharmaceutical costs...silly me

So now that I know, keep them secret but easily verifiable...

[macsrus]

Kudos to Pierre Salinger for standing by his words, and I will give Babs the benefit of the doubt. ;)

Funny

[Leo Hubbard]

I hate exit polls. The exit polls on the east coast can skew the results on the west coast especially since the east coast close earlier than the west coasts. However it would be a violtion of the rights to a free press to not allow the press to ask questions of those leaving the polls.

First off, lie to them. Second off, If all the polling places throughout the US opened at the same exact time and closed at the same exact time the exit polling data wouldn't be worth "as much". Now because some people are morning people, some are night, others work for a living these poll places should be open for one single 24 hour day. Midnight to Midnight PST, so they would open and close at 3am EST.

[Neserk]

I think they should stop them. I hate to say it... but I do. Had it not been for the '00 debacle I wouldn't feel that way...