A questions about polling:

[brooklynite]

Recent polls have suggested that both the Ohio and Texas are tightening. However, both states are "open" or "quasi-open" primaries, allowing Independents and Republicans to participate, a pool of voter Obama has excelled at attracting. Do these polls take into account non-Democrats who may cross over?

[TexasObserver]

1. yes, but they do so poorly and inaccurately.

[maseman]

2. If they ask the questions as such

If the polling organization simply asks "Who are you going to vote for in the primary on March 4th..." then yes it would include anyone at that point.

My father is a registered Republican but has voted Dem his whole life. (Don't ask, he cannot explain it either.) But he has never voted in a primary. At age 60 tomorrow he is voting for Obama. Once he asks for the Dem primary ballot his party is switched.

If someone called him right now from a polling organization and asked who'd he vote for...even though today he is a Republican on paper...he'd say Obama.

[brooklynite]

3. Yes, but...

the question is whether the survey filtering process ("Do you consider yourself a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent") allows a voter to be asked a bout voting outside of their "official" primary.