The Poll You’ve Been Waiting For
The first independent poll of the 2011 Mayor’s race is scheduled to be unveiled tonight at 11 p.m. on WISH-TV Channel 8. Details of the poll are being kept under wraps, however WISH-TV tells Indiana Barrister that the survey of 400 likely voters is scientific and is a pretty good sample size. WISH-TV also says it using the same firm it has in the past.
In the 2010 U.S. Senate race, WISH-TV used the polling firm EPIC·MRA, an experienced survey research firm, which has been active in governmental, political, marketing, business and health issues at the state and national levels since 1985. According WISH-TV’s website, EPIC·MRA polls are regularly cited by national news and media outlets and have been featured on CNN, World News Tonight, Nightline, and National Public Radio.
In the 2010 U.S. Senate race between Republican Dan Coats and Democrat Brad Ellsworth, an EPIC-MRA survey three weeks before the election had Coats winning 53-35. Coats won 56-38 percent over Ellsworth with Libertarian Rebecca Sink Burris getting 5.4 percent of the vote.
Both the Greg Ballard and Melina Kennedy campaigns have cited their own internal polling. Ballard’s camp says it’s leading 51-39 in the race over Kennedy. They say the poll was taken last week. Kennedy points to Marion County Democratic poll taken September 23 which shows the race virtually tied with her leading 40-38 with 21 percent undecided.
