Background Memo  

The most recent survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind was conducted by telephone from January 3 through January 10 using a randomly selected sample of 707 registered voters statewide aged 18 and over.  The sampling error for 707 adults is +/- 4 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. All PublicMind interviews are conducted by TMR, Inc. of Cedar Knolls, NJ.  Professionally trained interviewers use a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection is achieved through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected.

The questions included in this release are as follows:

Question:  Have you heard of [rotate list]? If you haven't just tell me. [If yes, ask:] Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of …? Would that be very or somewhat?

• Bob Menendez
• Tom Kean, Jr.
• Frank Lautenberg

Question: Later this year, there will be an election for US Senator from New Jersey . I realize it's early, but if that election were held right now, and you had to make a choice, which candidate would you vote for… or … ? [If “unsure” ask:] Which way do you lean…?

• Bob Menendez, the Democrat
• Tom Kean, Jr., the Republican

see also:
Survey Analysis
Democratic Analysis
Republican Analysis
Tabular Results