Exit polling legalised in Minnesota as governor signs new bill

According to the Marketing Research Association, who lobbied in favour of the law: “Previous Minnesota statute didn’t allow anyone [near voting places] ‘except an election official or an individual who is waiting to register or to vote’. This new law adds to that exception, ‘an individual who is conducting exit polling’.”

Minnesota statute now defines exit polling as “approaching voters in a predetermined pattern as they leave the polling place after they have voted and asking voters to fill out an anonymous, written questionnaire”.

The prior ban on exit polling was challenged in the courts back in October 2008 by a consortium of news broadcasters who complained that the law was unconstitutional as it restricted their ability to freely report on elections.