Phone polls have lost ring of truth: Cellphone users don't get the call

[Judi Lynn]

Oct. 20, 2004. 01:00 AM


Phone polls have lost ring of truth
Cellphone users don't get the call

Response rates concern pollsters


TIM HARPER
WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON—The last weeks of the U.S. election campaign may have doomed telephone polling, which became common three decades ago late in the Jimmy Carter-Gerald Ford contest.

The reason? Cellphones.

The traditional method of polling via random phone calls to American homes may be missing a significant and active part of the electorate, and an increasing number of analysts are suggesting a surprise may be in store Nov. 2.

Some 8 million Americans, equivalent to almost a quarter of the population of Canada, have "cut the cord" to use cellphones, and no longer have a home telephone on a land line.
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[Speed8098]

1. Not only that

I'm a registered Democrat for many years and I have NEVER been called by a polling organization, never.

Have you?

Have any of you?

Hell, I don't even know any Democrats that have been polled.

Polls suck.

[truthisfreedom]

3. never been called for a poll.

not for a presidential election, anyway.

[davhill]

4. I was called once in 2000

I can't remember which organization but I believe it had the word Research in it.

[lakemonster11]

6. I have.

At least at my parents' house. It's actually happened a number of times, probably because we have more than one number going to the house. The idea is that each member of the family has his or her own number and ring. But one of the effects is that we get to answer a lot of polls.

Of course, when I'm not staying with my parents I'm cellphone only and never get called by pollsters.

[truthisfreedom]

2. eww, look at smelly-pits there. hey, i wonder who these cell-phone users

are going to be voting for? young people all over the place that i know only have cell phones. it's something that people 30 and under seem to do with great frequency.

i hope this is a kerry thing...

[fylgja]

5. In two different classes

the teacher asked those of us who used a cell phone as their ONLY phone to raise our hands. Over 95% raised their hands. So, if 8 million are CPO's, and at the college level, 95% are CPO's and most college students tend to go heavily Democratic...

Makes me feel all warm and tingly.

Stealth voting college slackers to the rescue of American Democracy!!

[Joy Anne]

7. cell phone only

I first encountered cell phone-only people three years ago, and now some of the volunteers I recruited have only a cell phone number.

But then I haven't been polled on my regular phone for all these years---

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. I have been polled twice this year (same poll)

from the university of Pennsylvania

It was very in depth , I gave DU and BuzzFlash a plug both times

they called the second time (yesterday) specifically to talk to me

that said , I can hardly represent the young vote , I am 63

[triguy46]

9. Flawed surveying

This would seem to undercount younger voters and lower income voters.