Have you ever been contacted to respond in a political poll?

Question

(Not ones you've looked for, whether online or elsewhere...)

If so, was it for a local, state, or federal election?
Did you feel the questions were objective or leading?

YA is a sizable group, so I'm curious to know how many may have answered political polls. (Especially since the only polling questions I've ever gotten have been for products and radio stations.)

Hmm... Interesting answers so far. A couple more have been polled than I had figured.

Tribeca Belle--
Same with me... NOBODY in my family, and none of my friends have even been polled on politics.

Schefel--
I'm not sure the email poll would count--I get ones from one of my favorite conservative sites all the time... While I gladly answer, I know they're weighted for conservatives. It would have to depend on who actually sent the poll and whether it was nonpartisan?

Answer 1

I know this will sound weird, but I partake in polls regularly. Apparently I fit their demographics some how.

The polls are being purchased by someone, and so far not a single one has been unbiased in either construction or questions. They are looking for poll numbers to support a specific conclusion.

Anyone who believes in polls is intellectually dishonest or uneducated, but of course that is who the polls are supposed to impress anyway.

Answer 2

I've been contacted twice that I can remember, by Gallup both times regarding elections. The one in 2000 and a few weeks ago about the '08 race. I don't really remember the tenor of the questions from 2000, but this time it was pretty straight forward. It was if "name" runs against "name" who would you vote for in the general election. They gave me about 7 or 8 combinations to answer. It was formulaic and objective, with no special language attached to any of the candidates.

Just as a side note, not sure if this is important to your question, but I live in a fairly small town in Indiana, about an hour from Chicago and was contacted via telephone.

Answer 3

Yes - both state and federal, over the phone.

In both cases, the questions were leading - probably financed by a political party, rather than being an independent polling organization. When asked at the end of the poll, they could/would not identify the poll's intent.

Answer 4

I've been contacted for campaign contributions... does that count?

Actually, once I was contacted via e-mail, and asked to complete a political survey. It was short, probably didn't take more than 5 minutes to complete. It was a multiple choice questionare released just after the last election, and it dealt with (so called) national issues.

Answer 5

Never. I've been contacted many times for products polls but never for a political one.

No close friend or relative has been contacted either. I have thought that maybe they were avoiding big cities.

Answer 6

Despite the fact that there are a million polls a week and i've been politically active and registered to vote, I have never been contacted. Good question, I've never thought of it!

Answer 7

I've never been asked to participate in any kind of (non-online) political poll. Which is why I think political polls are slanted on purpose, because they don't reach out to various areas.

Answer 8

I have gotten phone calls for national elections, but mostly from local elections. I usually take the time to answer them. On occasion, I just don't have time to mess with them.

Answer 9

As a registered Democrat, I get surveys in the mail and sometimes phone calls. Basically they ask how important the issues (War in Iraq, Healthcare, Ethics, Education, etc.) are to me. I think the surveys are fair, but a Republican might find it biased.

Answer 10

No, not in many years. It makes me wonder exactly where these polls are being taken. San Francisco?