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CMOR Derails Poll Bias Bill
In the US, the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research (CMOR) has helped defeat proposed legislation that would have required disclosure of a poll's sponsor at the beginning of each call.
The Louisiana House Bill 58 was quashed through a joint effort by CMOR staff and Jude Olinger, CEO of the Olinger Group and the newest member of CMOR's volunteer group, State Capitol Network.
Had the bill been passed, all telephone polls conducted in Louisiana regarding a political candidate or proposition would have had to include disclosure about who was sponsoring the poll, along with the name and contact information for the sponsor or candidate/committee.
CMOR says that providing such information at the start of a survey, can completely distort or bias the answers respondents provide to research questions. The organisation believes that had the legislation been imposed, it would have made it extremely difficult to produce scientifically and statistically valid data.
Olinger played a key role in helping CMOR overturn the legislation. Using information and analysis provided by CMOR's government affairs staff, he personally appealed to legislators on behalf of the research profession.
'From the wording of questions to the accent of the interviewers, researchers strive to eliminate bias from all aspects of the research process,' said LaToya Lang, CMOR's State Legislative Director. 'With the help of concerned and motivated profession leaders like Jude, CMOR continues to advance the survey and opinion research profession and protect it from threats like Louisiana House Bill 58.'
Louisiana Democrat candidate Neil Abramson has also pledged to work with Olinger and CMOR staff to introduce legislation to protect the use of automated political polls and to restrict 'push polls' (which were recently condemned by the MRA - www.mrweb.com/drno/news7887.htm ).
CMOR is a non-profit organisation that promotes, advocates and protects the integrity of the survey and opinion research profession. Volunteer members of its State Capitol Network work with CMOR to help monitor and respond to legislation that impacts the profession and to foster positive relationships with policymakers and their staff.
Web site: www.cmor.org.
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