The Chief Election Commissioner said that Exit polls are creating a huge distortion by raising expectations that do not match actual results.

Key Issues Highlighted by CEC

• Lack of Transparency: Exit poll results are often presented without disclosing the sample size, survey locations, and methodology, raising concerns about their credibility.
• Pollster Accountability: Pollsters face no consequences when their exit poll predictions do not match actual results.
• Premature Predictions: Exit polls create unrealistic expectations, especially with leads being broadcast before vote counting even begins.
• Early Trends Manipulation: Early trends are flashed by 8:05 a.m., even though vote counting officially starts at 8:30 a.m., leading to distortion of public perception.
• Self-regulation Needed: The CEC emphasised the role of self-regulatory bodies to improve exit poll practice.

What is an exit Poll?

• An exit poll is a post-voting survey conducted after voters have cast their votes, aiming to predict the outcome of elections by collecting data on how individuals voted.
• In India, the regulation of exit polls is tightly controlled by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent any undue influence on voters or election outcomes.

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Regulation of Exit Polls in India

• Election Commission Guidelines: Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI has issued guidelines prohibiting the publication of exit polls and pre-election surveys during the voting period.
  • Media outlets must register with the ECI before conducting exit polls and must disclose the methodology, sample size, margin of error, and polling agency details when broadcasting exit or opinion poll results.
• Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951: It specifically prohibits the conduct and dissemination of exit poll results by any form of media (print or electronic) during a specified period.
  • The prohibition lasts from the start of polling in the first phase until half an hour after the polls close in the last phase across all states. This ensures that voting is not influenced by the perceived outcomes predicted by exit polls.
• Timing Restrictions: Exit polls are not allowed during the actual voting period, ensuring that voters cast their votes independently of any influence from early poll predictions.