I can't see how exit polls are of any relevance to newspapers to begin with. By the time the presses roll, we should have an accurate count of actual votes (if only to 98 percent of precincts reporting). In situations such as the 2000 presidential election, this is of course a hopeless ideal, but such exceptions are just that.<p>Exit polls are merely a way for the 6 p.m. news folks to have something to say, since they can't possibly have an actual story yet.<p>By election day, the actual votes are all that matter -- conjecture is only useful until the polls open.
|