Background Memo  

The most recent survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind was conducted by telephone from September 29, 2008 through October 5, 2008 using a randomly selected statewide sample of 760 likely voters who reported their chances of voting in the upcoming presidential election are “good” or “excellent.”  The sampling error for 760 randomly selected respondents is +/- 3.5 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. PublicMind interviews are conducted by professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection >is achieved by computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a landline phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected. Results are mathematically weighted to match known demographics.

The questions included in this release are as follows:

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 [name]? Would that be very or somewhat?

• Dick Zimmer
• Frank Lautenberg

Question: Next November New Jersey will also vote for a US Senator.  I know it’s early but do you think you will vote for … or …?

• Frank Lautenberg, the Democrat
• Dick Zimmer, the Republican

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results