Polling

Daily tracking polls can essentially make or break elections, according to Jay Campbell, vice president of Hart Research.
“A daily tracking poll asks a handful of questions every day,” Campbell says. “These polls are important towards the end of election season because opinions can change dramatically.”
Bill Mcinturff, director of Public Opinion Strategies, was also a lead pollster for presidential candidate John McCain during his 2008 election. He believes that everyone should have an equal opportunity to be represented in these polls and with this technology advancing; there are new ways to poll.
“I don’t even know what is in store for 2012,” Mcinturff says.
Mcinturff joined students participating from the George Mason University Video Studio, along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-SPAN networks and students from the University of Denver.
Both Mcinturff and Campbell work for polling firms.
According to Mcinturff, there are many questions one should ask when conducting a poll.
“We should ask – what do we want people to look at? What is driving this midterm election? How does this election cycle compare with past cycles?” Mcinturff says.
Polling can be confusing to many, including Mason students.
“I don’t understand it. It’s gibberish to me,” says Pras Gustanto, a junior biology major.