"Exit polls" and "Post-Poll Survey": Are both same?

May 14, 2014

Although both the two terms “Exit polls” and “Post-Poll Survey” are used in the same context i.e. prediction of elections, there is a technical difference between the two. Exit polls are done outside the polling stations immediately after voters exit the polling booths/station. A Post-Poll Survey, on the other hand, is conducted a day or two after the voting, preferably at the homes of the voters.
In terms of accuracy, a post-poll survey helps gauge the results better as they are held in the confines of somebody’s home. Unlike exit polls where voters are caught immediately after they come out from the booths, post-poll survey are based on relatively leisurely and detailed interactions.
Most agencies have switched to post-poll surveys to gain from the process, given that polls are mostly held in phases. Exit polls are conducted only when there are single-phase elections. Agencies, nowadays, utilize a mix of post-poll survey and exit polls on the last day of elections to generate immediate results.

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