Opinion Polls and Exit Polls

Table of Contents

Opinion Polls

Opinion polls are surveys conducted before an election to gauge voters’ intentions and preferences. They aim to predict how the electorate might vote based on a sample of the population.
Methodology:
- Sampling: Various techniques such as random, stratified, or cluster sampling are used to ensure a representative sample of the electorate.
- Questionnaire Design: Pollsters design questions to capture voter opinions on candidates, political issues and approval ratings.
- Data Collection: Surveys are generally conducted through phone interviews, online questionnaires or face-to-face interactions.
- Data Analysis: The collected data is analysed to provide insights into potential voting patterns. Inaccuracies can arise from sampling errors, response biases, and last-minute shifts in voter behaviour

Exit polls are conducted immediately after voters leave polling stations on election day.
These surveys ask voters whom they voted for, offering a more accurate prediction of election outcomes than opinion polls.
Exit polls provide early indications of results before official counts are completed.
Methodology:
- Sampling: Pollsters select diverse polling stations to mirror the demographic composition of the electorate.
- Questionnaire Design: Questions focus primarily on whom voters voted for, along with demographic information and factors influencing their choices.
- Data Collection: Trained pollsters approach voters as they exit polling stations, ensuring anonymity to encourage honest responses.
- Data Analysis: The data is weighted and analysed to project overall voting trends. Results are often presented with a margin of error.

Legal Basis:
- Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 prohibits exit polls during elections. They cannot be conducted or published from the start of voting until 30 minutes after the last polling booth closes.
- It prohibits displaying any election-related content, including the results of any opinion poll or survey, on electronic media during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of poll.
Election Commission Guidelines:
- Timing: Exit polls can only be conducted after all polling has finished. They cannot occur during voting.
- Media Registration: Media outlets must register with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct exit polls.
- Code of Conduct: Registered outlets must adhere to guidelines that prevent the publication of information that could influence voter decisions before voting ends.