EMAIL ABCNEWS ABOUT MISLEADING "EARLY VOTER" POLL

[ruggerson]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=199229&page=1

In this lame tracking poll, they note that Bush is leading amongst early voters 51 - 47.

"Oct. 26, 2004-- While the 2004 election is locked in a virtual dead heat, for nearly one in 10 likely voters it's all over but the counting: They've already cast their ballots.

Nine percent of "likely" voters in the ABC News tracking poll say they've voted for president, either by absentee ballot or early voting, a number that's jumped in the last week. Fifty-one percent say they went for George W. Bush, 47 percent for John Kerry."

WHAT THEY FAIL TO MENTION IN THE STORY IS THAT NOT ALL STATES HAVE EARLY VOTING AND THAT MOST NORTHEAST STATES AND THE MIDWEST DO NOT OFFER EARLY VOTING. THUS THEIR STATISTICS ARE TOTALLY DISTORTED IN FAVOR OF BUSH.

email: [e-mail] and [e-mail] and tell them that they must divulge which states are being polled if they are to discuss early voting patterns.

[DaveinMD]

1. it wasn't a poll

it was one question in their big tracking poll.

[ruggerson]

2. I'm aware of that

But the story is about that one question. They headline this story with the "results" from that one question without bothering to tell us which states offer early polling, thus making it seem like this was a national trend.

[sandnsea]

3. Mostly it's unethical

They shouldn't be releasing any exit polling until Nov 2 when the polls close. But since they probably started with an over-sampling of Reps and mostly red states are voting, this is excellent news.

[sonicx]

4. don't worry about it. let the freepers have a moment with their red state

poll.

[ruggerson]

5. This kind of stuff gets me jazzed

because with a week to go, the stories should all be about how the momentum is with US, not them.