NBC News Exit Poll: How it works and how we use the results on election night

Before votes are tallied on election night, exit polls offer an early look at who is voting and what is motivating their choices. An exit poll is a survey of voters taken as they leave (or exit) their voting location. Unlike public opinion polls ahead of elections that predict whether respondents will vote, exit polls capture the views of voters in person on Election Day. The exit poll also reflects the views of people who voted early or by mail — we take steps to reach those voters by phone and by mail, as well as online. Here’s how exit polls work, where they are conducted and how NBC News will be using the results on election night and in the days after.

Who conducts the exit poll? For this year’s midterm election, exit polls are being conducted by SSRS, a survey and market research firm, on behalf of a group of news organizations: NBC News, ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News and MS NOW. The companies receive the same data, and NBC News then independently analyzes and reports on the exit poll results. What questions are asked? The national exit poll asks respondents whether they voted for the Democratic or Republican House candidate in their district, and in many states the poll also asks which