04/06/2024
*Saluting the dedication of Exit Poll interviewers
As the counting of election results begins and people compare them with exit polls, it's time to appreciate the countless interviewers who work tirelessly to gather this data. It is a sheer human effort and courage, to the extent that it can be compared to the same human courage elicited during the Vietnam War. It is about ordinary people demonstrating the extraordinary power of resilience—not AI, but plain human courage.
It is the same courage that drove them to passionately collect data for exit polls on behalf of various media organizations, despite the heat. I recognize the immense challenge of covering cities and remote villages, often far from the nearest place of stay.
Gathering data from voters immediately after they have cast their ballots is a significant task. Imagine having to engage with a diverse group of men and women, ensuring a balanced representation across age, religion, caste, and constituencies, all while filling out questionnaires under the trees.
Yes, the interviewers face issues such as underclaims, overclaims, and acquiescence bias, where voters might respond in a way that doesn't reflect their true feelings. But they are vigorously trained to handle these issues.
Supervisors play a crucial role in managing data quality through observation, monitoring the speed of interviewers, checking for straight-liners and "don't knows," and identifying any fraudulent responses. They are responsible for rejecting poor interviews and replacing them with quality data.
Once data is uploaded, analysts take over to crunch numbers, create tables, and visualize data before presenting the findings. This process is not magic, but it is magical how such a mammoth task is carried out. The "food" prepared by the data gets immediately tested for authenticity and quality against actual results.
Exit polls are unique in market research as their data quality is tested immediately against actual results. While sampling choices and voter selection play a crucial role, the biggest influence comes from the interviewers who work hard to reduce coverage and response bias. If the exit polls closely match the actual results, we should appreciate the interviewers' efforts and courage. If they don't, we should still recognize the agencies' and interviewers' courage for attempting to unravel the complexities of respondent behavior and for their passionate efforts.
Regardless of the outcome, their relentless dedication and bravery in the face of daunting challenges deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.
Let the best party win !
