CNN Voter Poll to track 100,000 Mecklenburg voters in new hybrid survey

Roughly 100,000 voters across the United States are being tracked in a new survey called the CNN Voter Poll. This tool replaces the traditional exit poll for the network’s election coverage. The survey is conducted by SSRS on behalf of CNN and other major news organizations, including ABC, the Associated Press, CBS, Fox News, MS NOW and NBC.

The new method merges two different data sources. Researchers fielded a nationwide survey before Election Day and will collect in-person exit polls on Election Day. This combination allows for a detailed look at the electorate in the 45 states holding US Senate or governor elections. North Carolina is among the states included in this analysis.

Nearly 80,000 voters completed the pre-election portion of the survey between October 19 and November 3. These participants were selected from random samples of registered voters and online panels. They were contacted via postcard, telephone, text message or email. All participants were matched to voter files to ensure the sample represented the general population.

Researchers use demographic and political data to weight the results. This process adjusts the survey to reflect who actually turned out to vote. Participants who were not verified as having voted before Election Day will be recontacted to confirm their ballot status and check if their choice remains the same.

In 15 states with highly competitive races, the pre-election data will be combined with in-person exit polls. Pollsters will distribute paper questionnaires to a randomly selected set of voters at various locations. Roughly 22,000 voters are expected to participate in this in-person segment. The locations were chosen through random sampling to ensure they represent all Election Day voters in the state.

Respondents can complete the poll in either English or Spanish. The full national sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.6 percentage points. The margin of error is larger for subgroups and individual states. Earliest results will be reported after 5 p.m. ET on Election Day.

The survey aims to explain how different groups of people voted and how they feel about major campaign issues. Data characterizing the outcome of a race will not be reported until after polls close. Results will change throughout the night as additional interviews are conducted and the data is adjusted to reflect final election results.