Polling

I am rolling with the question – are polls creating transparency and aiding communication during election campaigns, or are a majority of them simply subtle electoral interference? 

The media is doing in depth coverage or foreign electoral interference while seemingly ignoring the simple fact that electoral interference has been a foundational part of representative democracy from the beginning. 

There is finally some recognition that the nominating process within the party system is deeply flawed and open to pressures from many levels (often reaching the level of interference).  BC’s recent withdrawal of one party to enhance the chances of another with both the withdrawer and the “victor” influencing or abandoning already completed nominations could easily be considered to be electoral interference. 

But back to polls.  It is not always easy to determine who paid for the poll.  Finding out the questions that were asked and how they were phrased, a key to determining the validity of the poll is also guarded information. 

Commentators have discussed that polling reports can encourage people to stay home (voter suppression).  They have also opined that certain poll results may encourage strategic voting.  Yet, polls are rarely discussed in terms of election interference, even though there are polls that are conducted and paid for to achieve influence on the outcome of an election. 

Needless to say, while not immune from polling data, I determine my vote in ways that will be covered in future posts.