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.
