Networks sue Minnesota over exit poll limits

[JonLP24]

Source: Star Tribune

The nation's major television news networks and the Associated Press filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Minnesota on Monday, arguing that a new law that keeps exit pollsters at least 100 feet away from voting places is unconstitutional and interferes with their right to do their job.

ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and the Associated Press insist that the law is too restrictive. The law had earlier prohibited exit polling within 100 feet of where actual voting takes place. But the language was amended in April to read: "No one except an election official or an individual who is waiting to register or to vote shall stand within 100 feet of the building in which a polling place is to be located."

Susan Buckley, an attorney representing the news organizations, said no other state has such a restriction.

The news organizations are asking the court to declare the law unconstitutional and to allow exit polling within the 100-foot zone. Moving pollsters outside the zone, the news organizations argue, could make exit polls less accurate and less helpful to the public.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/29909699.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUoaK7D_V_eDc87DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

[bluestateguy]

1. I don't consider polling free speech

Polls are just designed to annoy us, nothing more.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Exit polls are important as a check against election fraud. NT

NT

[slackmaster]

5. If polls were regulated and coordinated, they might serve such a purpose

Their actual purpose is to generate news, which can ba sold.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

14. exactly.

and now they "adjust" exit poll results to match their phony "actual" results, anyway.

[Sal Minella]

6. Heard election authority on NPR say the standard in other countries is: a variance of 2 percent

between exit polls and ballot tallies is a flag for election fraud.

Keeping exit pollsters from garnering accurate results paves the way for diddling with the vote tallies from each precinct.

[slackmaster]

13. I'll bet those countries have specific criteria for how those polls are conducted

i.e. which polls qualify for the 2% threshold.

Anyone can conduct a straw poll badly.

[Thothmes]

17. It is only useful if you can guarantee the

people being polled are being honest. If not then it is no more useful than idle speculation.

[last_texas_dem]

20. But you really can't guarantee that with any sort of polling...

...and many polls still manage to come pretty close to the truth.

[Thothmes]

21. But again, without some guarantee of the truth from those

being polled how close to the truth do they come.

[LanternWaste]

18. Most free speech is designed to annoy us

Most free speech (like opinions) is designed to annoy us, nothing more.

Unless of course, one is *not* annoyed by the average of 3000 advertising messages internalized per day by an individual.

Or the proselytizing of door-to-door political canvassers.

Or the mass mailers we receive by the hundreds every year in our mail box.

I certainly don't see a precise or relevant difference between the above examples and polling, but then again, I've never been accused of being a very smart person... :P

[99th_Monkey]

2. Since when do "The Neworks" all-of-a-sudden give a flying fuck about exit polls?

after poo-pooing them in 00 and 04 as "not credible" when they showed Democratic presidential
candidates winning, in stark contrast to the "official results" .... please.

maybe better late than never?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. Self-delete. (n/t)

[WatchWhatISay]

7. This has been the case in Texas for as long as

I have been working at the polls - 1998. We post number of voters that have voted at the 100' marker. No one is allowed to bring any recording devices or campaign materials within that distance either.

[orleans]

8. minnesota needs to keep the exit polls at bay so no one blinks

when norm coleman is allowed to steal the election out from al franken.

[truthisfreedom]

9. Very curious they'd change the law. Very weird.

[orleans]

10. yep. all in the name of the gop. as usual. n/t

[Mister Ed]

11. We have a very good Secretary of State in MN (Mark Ritchie)

In 2006, Democrat Mark Ritchie defeated an incumbent Republican Secretary of State who was to some degree willing to play along with GOP voter-disenfranchisement efforts. Ritchie is dedicated to the principle of fair elections, and wouldn't make a rule that would unfairly favor either his own party or the GOP.

This rule seems to be a companion to a rule that has been in place for a long time: no one but voters and poll workers within 100 feet of the polls. It's designed to prevent campaigning at the polling place, and ensure that voters have an un-hassled experience.

Now, exit polling is very different from political campaigning, and maybe the pollsters ought to be allowed closer. But I feel pretty certain there's nothing sinister at work in this.

[Hansel]

22. I agree. I thinks its just a "the rules are the rules" decision

and not meant to be something sinister.

[Sal Minella]

16. Yup. Especially considering Darth himself placed Normie in the running for Senator

after telling Tim Pawlenty to back out of that race -- and then the weakest candidate in a three-way race was mysteriously given great amounts of money for his campaign, resulting in a close three-way finish.

Between that and the treatment of the credentialed PRESS people at the RNC, I fear for our good progressive bastion, Minnesota.

[Thor_MN]

12. I've volunteered twice to be an election judge and have never been contacted

I hear year after year that they are desparate for election judges, especially younger people with technology experience. I'm mid 40's, work in IT and willing help out, but apparently they have no need. I voluntered at the Dem caucus and a couple months later via the county web site - no one has ever attempted to get back to me. Makes me worry that they are considering our 10 electoral votes enough to risk cheating for.

[Sal Minella]

15. And the treatment of Amy Goodman and other reporters was designed to let you Minnesota folk know

that the press will not be allowed to cover any of the methods used, either, in case anybody had any ideas in that direction.

[wvbygod]

19. yeah, but did they retain the Judges required?

It's a personal issue when they don't tap you for the role, but quite another
if they leave the position unfilled.