Previewing the Polls: Absentee Ballots, Votes by Mail, and Exit Poll Data (2000)

Polling data is central to every political campaign, offering valuable insight into the size and shape of the electorate. This clip from election day in 2000 features two pollsters,Republican strategist Bill McInturff and Democratic strategist Sam Popkin, on the importance of polling. They discuss calculating assumptions based on poll data, how each campaign has responded to data throughout the campaign, and what that tells them about expectations for voter turnout and potential election outcomes. Some of the key points raised include the demographic shift in the electorate, as those over the age of 60 made up a much larger percentage of voters than in previous years; the dramatic increase in early voting; absentee ballot requests; and mail-in votes in battleground states like Florida. This conversation foreshadows the lengthy processes of vote counting and highlights the risks of relying on polling data in the 2000 election.

The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer | NewsHour Productions (Television station : Washington, D.C..) | November 11, 2000 This video clip and associated transcript appear from 26:12 - 22:07 in the full record.