Gallup & the Do Not Call List

On Saturday, September 16, I got a call from a woman working in the Nebraska office of Gallup/USA Today and became one of the 1,003 adults interviewed for their most recent national poll. Most questions dealt with President Bush and the upcoming midterm election, but I was also asked questions about professional baseball's MVP awards. The results of the political poll are available. You can see how much I altered the results.

Ever wonder how they determine whether someone is a likely voter? Here are the questions they asked me (after they asked if I was registered to vote):
1. Do you know where your local voting place is located?
2. Are you registered to vote in the district where you live?
3. Did you vote in the November 2002 midterm election?
4. How much thought have you given to the upcoming election?
5. How likely are you to vote?

I thought it was strange that I got called by Gallup just days after getting phone service established. In the last week that I've had phone service, the phone has rung all the time with people marketing products or asking for donations. It is so overwhelming that I just went and added my name to the Do Not Call List. Ever wonder what the effect of the Do Not Call List is? I'm guessing the few poor folks who aren't on it get bombarded with calls all day. I also wonder how it affects polling? Wouldn't Gallup and other polling agencies be restricted by the DNCL? If so, does that bias poll results at all? If a slightly higher percentage of Republicans or Democrats are on the list, then that slight bias could have an effect on the poll.