I took the ABC, AP, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC exit poll this morning.
We voted at our rural central PA polling place, arriving at 9AM, and waited 25 minutes, ten minutes longer than 2004. We’ve never seen such a crowd! The line was snaking off the porch, down the walkway, to the street. I’ve never seen it go past half the porch before.
We saw the exit-poll lady, wearing a cap that had all the logos on it, with two clipboards. We asked her what she was doing and when she said it was an exit poll I got excited. We asked her why our precinct was selected and she said it’s because ours is representative of central Pennsylvania! We asked how she selected people to participate in the poll. She picked alternate people as they exited. We noticed, though that there were two exit points, so that many people did not walk past her. Also, if people refused to participate she made a note (gender, age) but did not ask the next person, continuing to alternate. Since my husband and I were together we were assured of participation, and my husband deferred to me. There were four versions of the questionnaire. I was given version #3.
I was able to copy all of the questions onto the back of my sample ballot:
ABC, AP, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC exit poll, 11/04/08
(version 3, rural precinct in Central Pennsylvania)
A] gender
B] race: w, b, asian, other
C] Presidential selection
D] How worried are you that the current economic crisis will harm your family’s finances over the next year? (very, somewhat worried, ??(I forget), not worried at all
E] What was the last grade of school completed? (5 choices)
F] Which comes closer to your view:
- Government should do more to solve problems
- Government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals.
G] Age
H] House of Representatives selection: D, R, didn’t vote
I] No matter how you voted today, do you usually think of yourself as a D, R, I, Other?
J] Compared to four years ago, is your family’s financial situation: better, worse, the same?
K] Do you approve/disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job? (4 options)
L] Are you of Hispanic or Latino descent. (we have many Latino farm workers here)
side two:
M] Which candidate do you think is in touch with people like you? (only B.O.; only J.M.; both; neither)
N] Which candidate has the experience to serve effectively as president? (same options as above)
O] Which candidate has the right judgement to make a good president? (same options as above)
P] Do you think your taxes will:
- go up if Obama is elected
- goup if McCain is elected
- go up no matter which candidate wins
- stay the same or go down
Q] Do you support or oppose the $700 billion government plan to assist failing financial companies? Y/N
R] Do you think Barack Obama’s positions on the issues are: too liberal; too conservative; about right
S] In the next few years do you think race relations in this country will:
- get much better
- get somewhat better
- stay the same
- get somewhat worse
- get much worse
T] In deciding your vote for president, were future appointments to the Supreme Court:
- the primary most important factor
- one of several important factors
- a minor factor
- not a factor at all
U] How worried are you about being able to afford the heqalth care services you need? (very, somewhat, not very; not worried at all)
V] Do you favor or oppose drilling for oil offshore in U.S. waters where it is currently not allowed? (strongly/somewhat in favor or opposed)
W] How worried are you that there will be another major terrorist attack in the U.S.? (strongly/somewhat worried/not very/not at all)
X] On most political matters, do you consider yourself liberal, moderate conservative?
Y] Do you or your spouse have an investments in the stock market, including mutual funds or retirement plans? Y/N
Z] What was your 2007 total family income? (8 choices, from <$15,000 through>$200,000)
...............
While I was typing this up I was telephone-polled by Horizon. It was a computer poll, and asked my party registration, whether I voted for BO or JM, and whether I voted straight party ticket.