VNS got the Exit Polling RIGHT in 2000 - So, of course, they're gone...

[Junkdrawer]

Networks to test new exit polling system

NEW YORK (AP) — Determined to avoid a repeat of high-profile failures in 2000 and 2002, television networks will rely on new systems on Nov. 2 to help project election winners and analyze why voters made their choices. And they have turned to The Associated Press to count the vote for them. (Q&A: How the AP counts votes)
The six news organizations that have formed the National Election Pool — ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel and the AP — say they're confident things will go better this time, based on test runs and the experience of people involved.

Still, the TV networks said they would be careful projecting winners after prematurely declaring Florida, and the 2000 election, for George W. Bush. (The AP did not declare Bush the winner on election night). The election wasn't ultimately determined for weeks after vote recounts and court fights.

"We're just going to really, really be cautious," said Marty Ryan, Fox News Channel's executive producer for political coverage. "When we think we have it, we'll wait a few minutes and look again. Then we'll wait a few minutes and look again."

The networks blamed Voter News Service, the company they had formed to count votes and conduct exit polls, for faulty data that led to the wrong calls in 2000. VNS tried to rebuild its system, but it broke down on election night 2002 and failed to provide usable exit polling information. VNS was then disbanded.

...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2004-10-13-election-network_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA

:( Looks like they won't make THAT mistake again...

[SavageWombat]

1. Not True

It wasn't getting it right in 2000 that was the problem.

It was that they got it right in 2002 - and the Republicans couldn't allow the public to see the real election results...

[Junkdrawer]

2. Both 2000 (Florida) and 2002 (Georgia et al)...

were "problems". The difference is the we got to see VNS's results in 2000. In 2002, they locked away the results.

Bet Max Cleland won that race.

[bobbieinok]

3. my recollection..VNS right in every state but FL in 2000 (had it for Gore)

VNS did NOT do exit polls in 2002; there were none to check the 'official' votes against

[Gabi Hayes]

4. the same people that run the one STARTED VNS

some guy from Kentucky and some other guy

it's the same outfit, with basically the same people. same address, IIRC, and some slightly different methodology, based more on better accounting of the precinct level vote COUNT, which was why they got florida "wrong" in 2000

they did NOT get florida wrong....the people THOUGHT they voted for Kerry.....their votes were NOT counted

did they get New Mexico wrong?

Iowa?

Wisconsin?

any of the other close states?

check it out...they got it RIGHT.....THAT was the problem

the media have always refused to deal with the reality of Florida....ask Palast, for starters

911 sealed the deal, when the NORC count came out, and should have been dispassionately analyzed

it's all very clear......

[amandabeech]

5. VNS got the intent of the Florida voters right in 2000, IMHO.

The recount was a failed attempt to determine the intent of the voters who had not marked or punched their ballots perfectly at least in some counties.

VNS pollsters asked those same voters to state their intent as they left the polling place. All voters are usually able to orally or by gesture state for whom they voted, even when they have had trouble with a ballot. The only voters for whom VNS did not determine intent statistically were those who voted absentee.

VNS "statistically" counted every non-absentee vote and correctly determined the intent of the voter in every spoiled ballot. I have a difficult time believing that the difference between the VNS result and the result mandated by the Supreme Court were the absentees.