With the number of spam calls so prevalent, I wonder if a lot of people don't answer calls if they

[JohnSJ]

are from numbers they don't recognize, and if that is the case, how do pollsters account for those that don't answer their surveys?

[NH Ethylene]

1. Interesting. And is there a profile for those who don't pick up for any unfamiliar numbers?

I know I'm one of them. How could that skew the results?

[ShazamIam]

23. I never answer an unknown call, if it is important, a message will be left if not, no return call

from me.

[llmart]

32. +1

That's exactly what I do. I get so many calls that show up as being from "Unavailable" and I've never answered one of them. They almost always hang up before the voicemail prompt starts.

So, I never get any phone surveys.

[ShazamIam]

33. Exactly, I am a voter who has never heard from a pollster, and I have never missed an election;

local, state or federal.

[polmaven]

2. I do NOT answer calls

if I do not recognize the number. If the caller leaves a message I will call back if I know the caller, but not from a stranger.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. I don't answer calls, the end. If the caller leaves a message, I'll give that a listen. NT

[Shrike47]

3. We don't answer calls from the unknown ourselves. If it's a real call, they'll leave a message.

I suspect this behavior is pretty common.

[Champp]

4. Most people I know will not pick up calls without ID

I'm one of the many. If it's somebody real with a valid reason for getting in touch, they'll either have an ID I can see, or they will leave a message so I can call them back.

Way too much telecrap out there.

[Treefrog]

5. I never, ever answer calls from a number I don't recognize.

[mcar]

6. I run a business from my home

I'm a freelance writer and editor. My cell phone is my only phone contact. Still, I do not answer a call if I don't know the caller. They can leave me a message.

[bobnicewander]

7. Same here

If I do not see the name of a person, company or organization I recognize I don't pick up.

[Submariner]

8. I got 3 calls Malwarebytes flagged as Spam today

so I let them go to voice mail.

All three calls had the same first 6 digits as my phone number.

The recording said "Press 1 to speak with a 'Federal Concern Agent', if you do not we could take federal arrest action."

Pigs.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

9. I don't

I don't recognize the number? I don't answer. If it's legit, leave a message. If they don't leave a message, I don't call back.

I've had my fill of "renew your auto warranty or else" (yes, the last message I got bordered on "or else" ) calls when I don't even have a car in the first place!

[NewHendoLib]

10. same here. I don't answer unfamiliar/ unidentified numbers

[nolabear]

11. Good point. I don't know anyone who answers unknown numbers.

I sure as hell don’t.

[royable]

12. On a typical weekday I get about 12 junk calls on my land line and about 8 on my cell phone

The land line phone is unplugged from the cord so I don't ever hear it ring. The cell phone only rings if the calling number is in the phone's contacts list. If someone wants to reach me they can leave a message.
And now I'm starting to get about three or four junk texts a day, with links I have to be very careful not to click.
And I get about a dozen junk emails a day.

This "connected" is a big waste of time.

[Biophilic]

13. Yes, I've wondered that myself. Especially when I see something so skewed

to the right wing. I never answer a call if I don't know who's calling. Apparently RW's do. Curious.

[SoonerPride]

14. My phone is on silent and I never answer it

Even if people i know call me I don’t answer.

Because the phone doesn’t ring or vibrate.

Text me. Or leave a message and I’ll call or message you back.

So if any pollster was trying to reach me it would be pointless.

[ShazamIam]

15. The polls became unreliable in 2011, they can poll and make it look legitimate but get the results

they seek. AEI had a presentation about polling before teh 2012 election. It was revealing and No I don't think I will be able to find it again, it was a video presentation that stated, "the polling is under control."

I might spend some time later looking for it, it was shocking.

edit: add last sentence.

[JohnSJ]

19. It makes one wonder how reliable the polls can be

[ShazamIam]

21. Remember the manupulation regarding the last months of the 2012 Election, they thought they had it

stolen for Romney, oops they had some scrambling and 'splaining to do after it was over and Obama won with a strong majority.

I do not believe Biden's approval is down to 42% which is being proclaimed by some today.

[JohnSJ]

25. I am skeptical also. Just the fact that the vast majority of the populous believes in vaccines may

allude to the reality

[WVGal1963]

16. Pollsters

Pollsters have been dealing this for many years now, and while I used to try to stay on top of the topic, I just haven’t researched it much lately. Still - - it is a huge issue. I do remember that many years ago, lots of pollsters were really struggling and could no longer rely on prior reliable models for accuracy, etc.

Happy evening to all my DU friends! I don’t post much, but I read all the time and I appreciate you……each and every one. Stay safe.

[JohnSJ]

20. ..........

[bcool]

18. I have my iPhone set to silence unknown callers...

...i.e., those not in my Contacts. It's great...they show up in Recents but I never hear them. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

22. I dont answer unknown numbers

And when one calls I block it.

[Arkansas Granny]

24. I don't answer any numbers I don't recognize. If it's legit, they can leave a voicemail.

[BlueIdaho]

26. I'm running 2 aggressive call blockers.

Any calls that get through that and aren’t in my contacts list go straight to voice mail. I know I’m not alone so I don’t know who surveyors are talking to…

[JohnSJ]

27. Obviously not your or my demographic

[BlueIdaho]

30. No doubt!

[Wicked Blue]

28. We turned off the ringer on the landline

and stopped answering.

Blessed peace and quiet!

[Demovictory9]

29. sometimes I answer, sometimes I dont. 90% of the time, unknown number is someone trying to sell

car insurance or something

[Generic Brad]

31. I permanently block numbers I don't know

My area code on my phone is a carry over from a state I used to live in. When I receive a call from that area code I 100% know it is a scam call and permanently block it. Today I received calls from overseas too. Block!

[timms139]

34. I answer them and get transferred to their live person and proceed

to speak pig latin and the call don't last long .

[electric_blue68]

35. My cellphone service tells me if they think it's a Spam call...

if someone wanted, needed to get in touch with me they'd call back

The spam #'s never call back.

[gldstwmn]

36. I haven't answered my phone for 20 years.

Those who need to get a hold of me always do. I suspect it's the same for a lot of people.

[UTUSN]

37. Yea, the flurries of actual Spam calls stop if not answered, but the problem is that

some places like my insurance aren't ID-ed. To answer or not to answer?!1