Difference between revisions of "Straw poll"

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A ''straw poll'' is a non-binding poll of the votes or preferences of members of a political convention.  Often a "straw poll" is used to indicate who the leading candidates are in an upcoming election.
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A '''straw poll''' is a non-binding poll of the votes or preferences of members of a political convention.  Often a "straw poll" is used to indicate who the leading candidates are in an upcoming election. The name "straw poll" came from the 17th century writer John Selden, who said: "Take a straw and throw it up into the air—you may see by that which way the wind is."<ref>http://www.worldmag.com/articles/13258</ref>
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A straw poll emphasizes the quantity of votes over quality.  They are generally highly unreliable.  For example, an online poll might ask viewers to click a button that corresponds to their opinion.  Such a poll would be unreliable because nothing is known about the people who vote and they can vote over and over again.<ref>US Government and Politics</ref>
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==See also==
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*[[Opinion polls]]
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*[[Iowa Straw Poll]]
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==References==
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<references/>
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[[Category:Election Terms]]

Latest revision as of 16:40, September 2, 2016

A straw poll is a non-binding poll of the votes or preferences of members of a political convention. Often a "straw poll" is used to indicate who the leading candidates are in an upcoming election. The name "straw poll" came from the 17th century writer John Selden, who said: "Take a straw and throw it up into the air—you may see by that which way the wind is."[1]

A straw poll emphasizes the quantity of votes over quality. They are generally highly unreliable. For example, an online poll might ask viewers to click a button that corresponds to their opinion. Such a poll would be unreliable because nothing is known about the people who vote and they can vote over and over again.[2]

See also

References