Canadian Election Coverage vs American Election Coverage

[yvr girl]

Do our networks use exit polling to the same extent that American ones do? I always see results given in actual votes with a reference to the percentage of polls reporting.

I don't really see this in American coverage of their elections. They seem to have a complicated system of prediction in place. Am I wrong?

We use paper ballots for goodness sakes. Their voting systems are much more automated.

[carpetbagger]

1. An American view...

I've seen the CBC coverage on election nights a number of times, including the last election.

Your ridings are much smaller than our electoral units, more in line with the size of some of our state legislative districts. So it would be less possible to do reliable exit polling to cover these districts. In even a small state, like West Virginia (population 1.8M, 5 electoral votes), you could set up three dozen exit polls at precincts, each representing a group of like-minded precincts based on past elections and census data. When the polls closed, you might have enough data to decide on a winner. Or you might only have to wait until a few precincts were counted to make sure your polling was accurate enough.

BTW, paper ballots work great. I've done punch card voting machines, paper and optical scanned paper ballots, electronic voting, and I've even punched my own holes in my ballots when voting absentee on a punch card ballot (I never knew the mess that left was called chad until a certain election). I'll take paper anytime.

[u4ic]

2. Even on US election night

The CBC had the numbers up far quicker than any of the American stations I checked. In one instance, it took CNN almost half an hour to make the change the CBC had earlier.

However, from what I understand, the American stations were being more cautious this time around.

[TrogL]

3. There's no time

Because we're using paper and have lots of volunteers and KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, the real results are out in time for the 11 p.m. news. Exit poll information would be useless. Nobody minds the wait.

[Spazito]

4. We do not use exit polling at all, I believe...

We have the regular polls prior to the election itself but no exit polls. The US system is so convoluted partly because each state is responsible for the process by which the election will take place: type of ballots, type of ballot counting systems, etc whereas our system is federally mandated with the rules the same in all provinces. I MUCH prefer our system, it is simple, cheap and fair!

[ironflange]

5. You're right, no exit polls

And this time around, the pre-election polls were way off. I think Harper had his cabinet all set out and ready to go.

[Spazito]

6. LOL, yep, he was 'ahead of the game' as it were...

I figured it would be a minority Liberal govt right after the scandal broke and I have to admit, even though I am a Liberal supporter, it was needed. I very much believe a strong opposition makes for good government and the previous Parliament held too big a majority for the checks and balances to kick in.