Quick Question (re: Polls)

[Mad_Machine76]

How does somebody get contacted for a poll- unless you self-select for a survey (i.e. YouGov)? I have NEVER been called to participate in any kind of random non-self-selected poll out there. Granted, I don't pick up the phone every time it rings, especially if it's a number I don't recognize, but I've never been selected for one of the seemingly thousands of polls that go out during election time. Has anybody else here ever been polled? Do you have to sign up or be on some kind of list? Do they go off of voter registrations? I'm just really curious.

[Elessar Zappa]

1. I've been called twice this cycle.

First time ever. They called my cellphone. I was happy to report my support for Democrats and also said that I approve of president Biden.

[Mad_Machine76]

2. Did they identify themselves

as a particular pollster?

[Elessar Zappa]

3. They did but I only remember one.

The Albuquerque Journal.

[jimfields33]

11. Last time I actually answered a poll was 2016 general election.

I suppose I’m getting calls this round but I haven’t answered any of them.

[yankee87]

4. Same here

I've never been asked. Also, now people don't answer their phones. Another thing is, the state I live in now, my cell phone has my old state aera code. Another issue, no one has house phones either.

[brooklynite]

5. "Granted, I don't pick up the phone every time it rings..."

That's a good way to not get counted.

The individual odds of being contacted are miniscule. There are 252 million people of voting age in the United States. A Survey of, say 1,500 (a very high number) would be a 0.0005% contact rate.

[Mad_Machine76]

6. I suppose you have a point

but it would be nice to at least know if it's a scammer or not before picking up. I guess they would probably not leave messages?

[brooklynite]

7. If you don't answer, they go on to the next number.

[Mad_Machine76]

8. Good to know

I've just never understood how it all works.

[W_HAMILTON]

9. It's just random, I assume.

I got a call from Quinnipiac once during the 2020 primaries and was delighted to participate. At least in this case -- contrary to what many people claim -- the caller ID came up not as some random number, but as Quinnipiac, which made me want to be sure to answer it (so, in a way, I was sort of self-selecting).

[Mad_Machine76]

10. Interesting

[Amishman]

12. Random selection, I got hit several times in 2020

Nine this cycle, though I've read polling overall is down.

[Polybius]

13. I got a call around February or March (cell phone)

They asked me about 20-25 questions, such as if I approve or disapprove of Biden and Trump, how important is January 6th to me, what Party I belong to, age, direction of country, if I approve of the job Congress is doing, voting rights, etc. There were no questions about who I plan to vote for in November, probably because this was about 7 or 8 months ago.