Could someone please explain why the media don't discuss the specifics of a

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deborah

Member
general election on polling day? The first time I took an interest in a general election, I was astonished to find that the news media suspended all speculation about the result on polling day, when I had expected there to be non-stop discussion of all the issues. Why is this? Is there actually a law that covers it, or is it just a convention?
 
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GrocerJack

New member
I'm not sure if it's law or convention (I suspect a bit of both), the theory is that the actual polling day should be clear of any influence of any kind to allow people to make up their minds and vote 'in peace' as it were.

This is why all the news broadcasts will start at 10pm when the polls shut. It's not just the news media by the way all political satire is banned too. Again you'll nearly always see a political satire show at 10pm on polling day too.

Oh and you have to laugh at these yanks who automatically assume you MUST be talking about the US despite your Q being in the UK section.....and they get upset when people say they're a bit arrogant....sheesh.
 
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doodada

New member
Good question Deborah! This all started back in 2000, Bush vs. Gore. Big Media called the election for Gore way, way early, before the West Coast polls had even closed. Hell, the East Coast polls hadn't even shut down yet! You know what their source for calling the election for Gore was? Exit polling, which is the absolute only way they could have called it for him. There was no way that ballots could have even begun to be counted, yet those tools called the election! Some say it was to depress voter turnout in the Western states, but it backfired on them. They started to do it again in 2004, but they suddenly remembered the egg on their faces, and semi-called the election by saying that it was exit polling. Again, they said that Kerry was winning and were really pissed when Bush won again. Stupid media LMFAO! I left you a link to PBS which chronicles the irrational exuberance of Big Media in calling the election for Gore.

Don't trust the media Deb. Just don't do it.
 
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cantcu

New member
I am surprised you haven't figured it out.

They were screwing up outcomes as the polls close 3 hours later in California. So they put a stop to it until all the polls closed!
 
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