To understand politics and governance better, it is important to have clarity about the frequently used terms. Two of them are the opinion poll and the exit poll. These terms might sound identical, but there are many differences between them. Read on to find out more about the same.

More about the opinion poll

An opinion poll is a pre-election or pre-voting survey. During an opinion poll, voters and nonvoters are both asked about whom they are going to vote for in the upcoming elections. It is usually conducted a few weeks or months before the day of the election. An opinion poll is a considerable medium to learn about the political scenario, but there are certain limitations to it. One is that it is conducted months or weeks before the actual day of voting, and opinions may change amid political campaigning. Furthermore, the survey is inclusive because non-registered voters also take part.

More about the exit poll

An exit poll is a post-voting or post-election poll. It is generally conducted on the same or next day of voting at the polling stations. The participants in this poll are registered voters. It is considered more accurate in comparison to the opinion poll as it studies real-time voter behavior. However, it is worth noting that the data obtained during the exit poll cannot be 100% accurate. There have been instances where the exit poll was a bit different from the actual election results.

The Election Commission of India has issued an official notification regarding the 2024 Lok Sabha election exit poll. According to the notification, the publication of exit polls will be banned in India between 7 a.m. on April 19 and 6:30 p.m. on June 1, 2024. The ECI has announced that displaying election matters, including opinion polls or any election survey results, in electronic media will be prohibited for 48 hours following the poll's conclusion.

Table stating differences

For your better understanding, here’s a table stating differences along with parameters.

To sum up

The terms exit poll and opinion poll might sound like synonyms, but they are quite different from each other. As aware citizens, it is important to understand the differences between such terms.

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