Introducing Fast Track Polling

Political campaigns and organizations engaged in public policy issues throughout the country are facing an increasing need and desire to conduct simple, short and inexpensive polls.  This is particularly relevant for state legislative and local level campaigns, but also for Congressional races, ballot initiatives and public policy issues.  Typical 5 - 8+ minute tracking polls tend to be too expensive or expansive for these needs.   

Because of the increased demand for short, reliable and accurate polls at a low cost we have developed a new, live professional interviewer poll known as Fast Track.

Introducing Fako & Associates' Fast Track Polls

Our firm has conducted both live and recorded IVR tracking polls, sometimes referred to as robo-polls. Our personal experience with live interviewer and IVR surveys are polls conducted by professional interviewers are consistently more reliable and accurate than IVR polls at the state legislative and other down ballot campaigns. IVR polls have a proven track record of accuracy and reliability in Congressional, Statewide and high profile policy campaigns.  IVR polls are more difficult to consistently and reliably complete at the State Legislative and other down ballot races due to low response rates and limited supply of quality phone samples.  The legal prohibition on calling cell phones with automated dialers and the high cost of adding a cell phone supplement to the IVR polls creates another quality and accuracy concern for IVR polls, especially for down ballot campaigns.

To address the need for reliable, simple, short and inexpensive surveys, F&A has developed a new poll using professional interviewers known as Fast Track.   Fast Track surveys utilize a more reliable and accurate methodology than IVR polls, particularly for down ballot campaigns.  These polls will include interviews conducted on cell phones, to ensure this significant sub-group is included in the sample, reducing coverage bias and making them consistently more reliable than polls that do not or cannot include cell phones.  

We recommend using these polls for:  

• tracking polls where only name favorability and trial heat questions are needed;
• campaigns where a quick and inexpensive check on the opinions of candidates and the status of a race is needed or desired; 
• campaigns that want to track more frequently with polls that use professional interviewers; and, 
• low budget campaigns that need essential polling data on name favorability and the support of candidates.

Fast Track polls will provide essential data for any campaign.  They will include a strict screen for likely voters, test opinions of the candidates, evaluate job performance, where an incumbent is involved, test the support of candidates in a trial heat of the election, and the candidates' strength of support.  Fast Track polls also will include two essential demographic questions for the campaign, typically age and party ID.  

Fast Track polls are much less expensive than the typical 5 - 8+ minute tracking surveys. Fast Track polls will cost between $2,500 - $3,500 depending on sample size (n=300 - 400) and the availability of sample.  This is significantly lower than the typical tracking polls, which cost $5,000 or more, and only marginally higher than many IVR studies.

Fako & Associates also provides comprehensive benchmark and standard tracking surveys to campaigns, public policy groups, labor organizations, and private businesses throughout  the country.

Please contact Dave Fako at (w) 630-243-7111 or via e-mail at: dfako@fakoassociates.com for more information on our new Fast Track polls and our comprehensive strategic benchmark and tracking survey services, 

For more information on F&A, please visit Fako & Associates' website.