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Tuesday, April 6, 2010 – Daily News – 5A Cell phone use soars, forcing pollsters to change methods FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (MCT) — Cell phone users beware: There's a growing chance you'll be enraged as the 2010 political season heats up. More and more pollsters are starting to call cell phone num- bers, asking questions about issues, political candidates and whom you're planning to vote for _ their questions, your minutes. It's caused by the rapidly accel- erating trend of people dumping their old-fashioned land lines. With more than one in five Amer- icans now living in wireless-only households _ and almost half of people ages 25 to 29 living with- out land lines _ pollsters can't get accurate results without including cell phones. The trend is unmistakable. Federal government research shows that 7.1 percent of house- holds didn't have a land line in 2005. That shot up to more than 22 percent of households in 2009. Telemarketers are affected, of course. But the impact is dramatic for pollsters. "It's nearing a tipping point, where traditional polling is less relevant or less accurate," said Ron Gunzburger, Fort Laud- erdale-based publisher of the national political Web site Poli- tics1. When wireless-only house- holds were a small share of the total, pollsters could compensate by weighting their results to make the demographics of the poll match the population. "Land lines will get you much more female and much more older people," said Hugh Gladwin, director of the Institute for Public Opinion Research at Florida Inter- national University. "And the demographics for cell phones are almost the reverse. There's a slight majority of males and definitely more younger people." Pollsters weight the results to reflect correct percentages of men and women and different age groups. But with increasingly large shares of some population groups unreachable on land lines, their interests and feelings might be missed if cell phones aren't included. "You can only weight for so many things," Gladwin said. The switch away from land lines to cell phones presents chal- lenges for pollsters. "People get really annoyed when you call them on a cell phone," Gladwin said. But don't expect polls to go away. The Quinnipiac University Poll plans to begin calling cell phones with its next Florida poll, later this spring. Pollsters get the cell phone numbers from telephone database companies. The Institute for Public Opin- ion Research already does, in almost every poll. There is an upside: For a longer survey that could take half an hour, people were told they'd get a $20 gift card if they finished the survey. That helps compensate people since the polling call uses up some of their cell phone plan minutes. People who don't want polling calls can't avoid them either on land lines or cell phones. Do-not- call lists apply to telemarketers, not to pollsters, Gladwin said. Pollsters still won't get through to Christina Santiago, 25, of North Lauderdale. Like all her friends, Santiago relies on a cell phone for everything. The idea of receiving a call from a pollster is "a little irri- tating," she said. "Even now I'm getting telemarketers starting to call my cell phone. So if I don't know the person, I just don't pick up." Arty Molinari, 20, of Boca Raton, doesn't have a land line. He said he'd be willing to talk to a pollster on his cell. "If I get a call I'll answer it. And if I don't like it, I'll say sorry," he said. "Why get mad? It's part of life now." Before Quinnipiac started call- ing cell phone numbers in some of its recent polls in other states, director Doug Schwartz said he thought most people would be like Santiago. Instead, he said, many are like Molinari and willing to answer pollsters' questions on their cells. "Once you get the right person on the line, they're pretty coopera- tive," Schwartz said. RNC chairman defends stewardship of party affairs WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Party chair- man Michael Steele defended his stewardship of party affairs Monday and dismissed criticism as the talk of GOP figures uncom- fortable with his ‘‘street- wise’’ managerial style. Asked in a nationally broadcast interview if he would step down in the face of criticism of the party’s financial management, Steele replied, ‘‘No.’’ He said some had been second- guessing him ‘‘since the day that I got the job.’’ Steele, however, acknowledged controversy over the $2,000 the party spent recently for a party at a sex-themed Hollywood M-F NOW OPEN!! 8am-6pm Baking Fresh Bread Daily Milling Wheat into Flour Made with Organic & Local Ingredients 446 Antelope Blvd. #38 Left side of Antelope Holiday Mkt 529-1687 Come see us at the Children’s Fair on April 24th Recently expanded and moved near Bidwell Elementary License # 525405817 My qualifications include: B.A. in Elementary Education and experience teaching grades K-8. Accepting state pay programs & cash pay, etc. (530) 209-8743 RANDAL ELLOWAY DDS, INC. 2426 SO. 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After reporters noted the bill in a funding report, the RNC fired a staffer it blamed for the outing and said it would be reimbursed by a donor who had attend- ed. Asked on ‘‘Fox News Sunday’’ if Steele should step down, Kyl demurred but said, ‘‘The people that Barber Shop $ Cheers ! 600 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Senior Cuts Open 6 days 9-6 570-2304 259 S. Main St. Tractor Supply Center All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2995 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. www.millcreekveterinaryhospital.com 8202 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos • 384-1700 MARK WINNING D.V.M. • ALL SPECIES CARE • AVAILABLE FOR FARM (House) CALLS We’ll come to you! 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