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Pandak Pollsters: “Not Subject To VA Election Law”?
By Greg L | 10 June 2007 | Prince William County | 10 Comments
I got a call today from a Colorado-based company called “Innovative Survey Research” doing a poll that was pretty clearly paid for by the Sharon Pandak campaign, since they were only interested in the Pandak/Stewart race and had an additional poll question for Tim Kaine. Since I’m always fascinated with what questions they’re asking and what messages these try to test with the electorate, I decided to take a few minutes and participate, and find out who was paying for the poll. It’s usually amusing. Today it was very amusing.
You see under Virginia law, all of these pollsters are required to disclose who is paying for the poll. At the end of this, the pollster didn’t provide the usual disclosure and when I asked him who was paying for this, he didn’t know. I talked to his supervisor and explained that election law required this disclosure, and her response was “we aren’t subject to Virginia law.” Hmm. She gave me the name and number of someone in the parent company to call, a “Mr. Hurley” (phone number (702) 734-7511) who apparently works for “MRC Research Group” in Las Vegas, NV. When you call this company, you can’t leave a message since their mailbox is full. Sounds like a really reputable polling firm…
This should be interesting to track down. Don’t think you’re subject to Virginia elections law? Well, someone will be.
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10 Comments
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I agree that this is scandalous, if true. Particularly if any Virginia political committee actually discloses paying for such a poll.
However, the problem with an allegation like this is in the fact that you identify none of the questions supposedly suggesting that this poll was paid for by the Pandak campaign. I doubt that your sense of it is adequate to satisfy any applicable standard, though I would bring it to the attention of the Elections Board. Perhaps I am mistaken.
Having been polled a fair amount in the past, this so much smells like a Pandak poll paid for by DPVA that I can’t imagine it being anything other than this. It tested Pandak’s possible campaign issues (some which were outright lies smearing Corey Stewart), asked about my opinion of Tim Kaine, and tested out Pandak’s vulnerabilities. The poll was obviously done by pros, although ones that didn’t understand our election laws.
It doesn’t matter Greg…all you have to do is pass on the information of the questions, name of the company, name of the Supervisor (if you recall it or wrote it down) and his/her refusal to respond to that legitimate inquiry, and the time of the call. Give the information to the SBE and let them run with it. They’ll find out who commissioned the poll, and act accordingly. This has happened before…who was it that Ben Tribbett nailed on similar polling improprieties last year (I believe it was last year, and that company was in Tennessee I think)?
Greg,
What were the issues they were trying to smear Stewart on?
They were trying to test claims that Stewart hasn’t been effective in trying to control development and rejected Tim Kaine’s proposals on adequate public facilities, that he has been weak on controlling illegal aliens, and that there has been an increase in acrimony on the Board of Supervisors.
I couldn’t keep from laughing at the pollster when he asked these questions. He asked why I thought these were so funny, and after explaining why, I think if the pollster was in Virginia rather than Colorado, he would have voted for Stewart in the next election.
They’re really flailing around for something — anything, to use against Corey and it’s actually pretty funny.
I suspect your sense of it is correct, Greg. I just wonder about the evidentiary standards applicable to situations like this. By all means, report it, though I question whether the appropriate jurisdiction lies with the State or the County Board of Elections. I would go to the latter first, and if not appropriate, they will refer you to the SBE.
I vividly remember the two times I was push-polled. The first was for a campaign between Kathy Seefeldt and Tony Guiffre for County BOCS Chairman, before “push-polling” was widely used. The second was for the Frederick/Barg race. Barg tried to pull out conspiratorial BS about Jeff’s ties to the EEEEEEvil! Council on National Policy.
When I had heard all the questions and given my best VRWC (Vast Right Wing Conspiracy) answers, I told the pollsters that some of my best friends — and my boss — were members.
I suspect that even a left-wing pollster had to get a chuckle out of that.
Here’s some info:
Innovative Survey Research:
http://www.isrpolling.com/
MRC Group Research Institute
http://www.mrcgroup.com/
Michael Hurley is apparently the Director of Operations. His bio link doesn’t work.
Although it APPEARS that these companies aren’t related, they actually are. The head of ISR (Renee) is listed in the bios of MRC as Senior Project Manager and virtually the same bio.
Greg,
Notify the AG’s office on this…it’s a clear violation and the person who is actually responsible is the candidate or organization who paid for the poll…not the poll taker
It is a violation but unfortunately this type of behavior is so widespread in both parties that nothing, has or ever will, be done about it.
I’ve been polled, and/or, push-polled by Frederick, Barg, Pandak, Rollison, and Kilgore without being told who paid for or authorized the poll. I’ve filed complaints and no fines ever appear on financial filings of the offender.
It is the wild west in terms of political activities here in Virginia. You can pretty much do whatever you want without reaping more than a small fine and a slap on the wrist. Our SBE is a do-nothing organization.
You don’t have to be told who paid for the poll. If the person asks, they are required to disclose who paid for it.