By Virginia Stratford
Students interested in politics can become exit-poll interviewers and have a good idea, even before it hits the news, who Utah”s congressional leaders will be.
On Election Day, more than 500 student volunteers from campuses across the state will survey exiting voters in the Utah Colleges Exit Poll designed by statistics and political science students at BYU. The questionnaires will collect information on voting behaviors, issue positions and demographics.
Students from all majors are encouraged to volunteer in the exit poll.
“This isn”t just for statistics majors or political science majors,” said Paul Fields, associate professor of statistics, who assisted students in designing the exit poll. “This is for everybody because everybody should be majoring in democracy.”
The exit poll is recognized as one of the best in the country, Fields said. In recent years, the exit poll has had a response rate of over 60 percent of voters, with accurate results within 0.5 percent of the actual vote.
“It”s a hands-on experience with political data and political phenomena,” said Kelly Patterson, associate professor of political science and director of the Utah Colleges Exit Poll. “We hope it”s a way of instilling in [students] the importance of voting and participation in American democracy.”
The exit poll gives students a first-hand experience with gathering and analyzing original data that is used in national electoral results.
“I feel like I”m giving back to the community,” said Hayley Mattson, a statistics major from Roy. “You probably could wait until the end of the day to find out election results, but it”s really interesting to see them get updated live throughout the day. It”s rewarding to be part of something bigger.”
The Utah Colleges Exit Poll was started in 1982 by BYU political science professor David Magleby and covers all three Congressional districts in the state.
Colleges that will participate in the 2006 exit poll include Utah State, Weber State, Southern Utah University, Dixie State, UVSC and Westminster College.
Poll interviewer training sessions will be held at the following times and locations: today at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. in 240 SWKT; Wednesday at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. in 240 SWKT; Thursday at 11 a.m. in 240 SWKT; and 7 p.m. in 230 SWKT.
For more information, visit www.exitpoll.byu.edu.
