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garybeck

(10,041 posts)
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 10:36 AM Oct 2012

Remember this? Exit Polls Made Easy

Exit Polls Made Easy
Something's fishy, and it ain't just Ohio

by Gary Beckwith
January 31, 2005

It's been said that exit polls are unreliable and that they can be interpreted many ways. But a look at the numbers provides some solid information anyone can understand, that is beyond interpretation.

These three facts can easily be derived from the exit poll data:

In 43 out of 51 states (inculding DC), the "official" vote totals differ from the exit polls in the direction favoring Bush.

Bush's victory exceeds the mathematical margin of error in 15 states. Kerry's victory does not exceed the margin of error in any state.

Exit polls were accurate in 2000.

In short, the gap between the exit polls and official vote (nearly all in the direction favoring Bush) is extremely large. Just how large?

The question that statisticians would ask is, "What is the probability that this could happen by random chance?"

Inquiring minds would like to know, and it's not just statisticians. It's the patriotic folks who care about the state of democracy in the United States of America.

Chances of exit polls being off in Bush's favor in 43 out of 51 states

Exit polls are not 100% accurate, but their errors should happen randomly. They should be off favoring Bush and Kerry fairly evenly. But they were off in Bush's favor in 43 out of 51 states.

According to statistician "Tia," the chances of this happening by random chance are 1 in 2.9 million*.

Do I smell smoke?

Chances of Bush's victory exceeding the margin of error in 15 states

...snip

more:

http://solarbus.org/election/articles/0130-exitpolls.html

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hrmjustin

(71,265 posts)
2. They have decided that they will only do exit polls in 31 states.
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 10:40 AM
Oct 2012

19 states mostly gop safe states will not have exit polls. I wonder how they will make calls on these states when they have no info to make a call.

KaryninMiami

(3,073 posts)
3. Sadly- yes. I remember it well and yes- it appears that we are in for a repeat performance in 2012.
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 10:52 AM
Oct 2012

The only thing different this time is that more people are aware of the suppression and disenfranchisement- and the fact that the Romney family now owns a significant number of voting machines. Not that this differs much from the GOP owned companies who owned the rest of the companies manufacturing these machines (and who still do not allow access to source codes for to verify the counts) but at least the Romney story got some media attention- enough to have people on alert. I am not just not that hopeful that the awareness in 2012 will be enough to compensate for the theft if the numbers remain as close as they are today and I am, sorry to say, extremely worried that this will cost us the election once again. I pray that I am being overly cautious and would be happy to have someone talk me off the ledge here!

Viva_Daddy

(785 posts)
4. The private ownership of voting machines deserves...
Tue Oct 23, 2012, 02:09 PM
Oct 2012

as much attention and "push-back" as the Citizens United SC ruling and "money is speech" nonsense.

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