Study: Poll Respondents More Likely to Lie About Voter Registration, Receive Welfare Benefits

NewsBusters.org ^ | Matthew Sheffield

[RatherBiased.com]

This presidential election, the reliability and fairness of pollsters has become a hot topic with both conservatives and liberals casting doubt on the accuracy of various polling firms. But what if the real problem with polling is more attributable to the people who respond to surveys than the polling companies themselves?

Thanks to a study examining the accuracy of polling, we now know that in some areas, surveys can be disturbingly inaccurate, in large part because people are willing to outright lie to a pollster. According to a report issued by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 60 percent of people who aren’t registered to vote will falsely claim to be registered.

Many people also seem inclined to misinform pollsters about their voting habits. Of those who were verified as not having cast a ballot in 2010, 65 percent told Pew that they “always” or “nearly always” vote. (There was no data provided for the 2008 election.)

[snip]

Perhaps the most significant disparity is that those who receive government money to help pay their food costs are over-represented in the five-day, industry-standard survey that Pew was double-checking. According to the study, 17 percent of respondents to the poll indicated that they had accepted food stamp money. In a much larger survey conducted by the government itself in March of 2011, just 10 percent of those polled claimed to have received food assistance.

[Ronin]

"Excuse me American voter, I represent In-Yo-Face Polling and would like to know if, in the coming election, you plan to support the great, articulate, wonderful, Barack Obama or are you one of those stupid, hating, despicably racist Romney supporters? By the way, nice paint-job on that car, there. Be a shame if anything happened to it."

Two words -- Stacey Dash.

I am sure that Romney's secret supporters are far more numerous than anyone suspects, but they keep it quiet because:

1. No one wants to be accused of racism.
2. No one wants their property destroyed.
3. No one trusts the polling companies to keep their information confidential.
4. Sticking it to the polling companies so they get egg all over their face on election day is fun.

I'd even go so far as to say that a lot of the people who say they support Obama in general conversation fully intend to support Romney once they get in the voting booth.

[ex91B10]

"...people are willing to outright lie to a pollster."

Every chance I get. It's fun!

The Kenyan must go.

[expat1000]

bookmark

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

"...people are willing to outright lie to a pollster."

Every chance I get. It's fun!

Not me, I just tell'em the truth, it scares the crap out'a them.

Regards,
GtG

[Jet Jaguar]

Poll ping.

[devolve]

I gots yo 'telligenz brefs rite heah!

[devolve]

I gots yo tellgens bref rite heah!