What are exit polls: The exit polls are post-vote polls, which are conducted after voters have cast their votes. The polls aim to predict the final result on the basis of the information collected from the voters after they walk out of the polling booth. Unlike an opinion poll, which asks the voter whom they plan to vote for, the exit poll asks the voter whom they actually voted for.
Who conducts the exit polls?
The polls are conducted by private firms and media organizations such as Today's Chanakya, ABP-Cvoter, News18, India Today-Axis, Times Now-CNX, NewsX-Neta, Republic-Jan Ki Baat, Republic-CVoter, ABP-CSDS and Chintamani.
How are they conducted?
Most of the agencies carry out exit polls through the method of random sampling. Some also opt for systematic sampling to predict the actual result. The agencies ask people from different age groups, gender, caste, religion and region whom they voted for.
While exit polls largely predict the outcome of the entire election, region or constituency specific exit polls are also released.
How are the exit polls calculated?
The firms conducting the exit polls usually ask voters who they voted for and on the basis of that, they make their final result prediction. The prediction is solely based on the fact that the voters have given correct answers.
When are exit polls released?
The exit polls are only allowed to be published or broadcasted half an hour after the conclusion of the last phase of polling. The polls are released after approval from the Election Commission of India.