The Customer Service Survey
I Voted
Tue - November 7, 2006 01:25 PM in
To add to Peter's comment yesterday about an election being the ultimate customer service survey, let me add an observation.
I live in suburban Minneapolis, and if you've visited at times other than January when it can get a bit "crisp" outdoors, you have likely been struck by our many lakes, parks and lush greenery all around. So it should not surprise that one of the common lawn signs sprinkled through the suburb was urging a YES vote on a city referendum to preserve green spaces from further development. I mean who isn't for greenery rather than asphalt and more apartment complexes, right?
On the ballot's front side there was a vote for a MN constitutional amendment, and clear explanations of the amendment, even explaining that leaving the ballot blank was the same as a "no" vote. The green space question was on the ballot's reverse along with interminable lists of unopposed judges giving the voter a case of writer's cramp by filling in all those little circles. The question was something to the affect of "Are you in favor of the City floating a bond for a bajillion dollars to preserve our parks and natural wildlife areas?" (Never mind that "wildlife area" is Minnesota Realtor code speak for mosquito breeding swamp-with-path.)
Well who wouldn't be in favor of open spaces and trees and tweety birds and homes for cute furry critters? So I filled in the "yes" circle. Then the lines below said: "A 'yes' vote to the above is a vote to increase your property taxes." What? Wait! Property taxes have already risen by a choking amount this year, I can't afford more! I've already been filling in circles for five minutes, and every other referendum question explained the choices before the yes/no decision. Now I have to see if I can legally tear up the ballot and start over? Forget it.
So the green space referendum will show an overwhelming landslide of support in my hometown. But the reason for the landslide, and I have to believe this was deliberate, was because the explanation of the significance of the choice was placed AFTER the vote was made.
Question bias is rampant in the survey world, but this was the most flagrant example on an election ballot that I can ever recall.
Posted by Rick Rappe'
On the ballot's front side there was a vote for a MN constitutional amendment, and clear explanations of the amendment, even explaining that leaving the ballot blank was the same as a "no" vote. The green space question was on the ballot's reverse along with interminable lists of unopposed judges giving the voter a case of writer's cramp by filling in all those little circles. The question was something to the affect of "Are you in favor of the City floating a bond for a bajillion dollars to preserve our parks and natural wildlife areas?" (Never mind that "wildlife area" is Minnesota Realtor code speak for mosquito breeding swamp-with-path.)
Well who wouldn't be in favor of open spaces and trees and tweety birds and homes for cute furry critters? So I filled in the "yes" circle. Then the lines below said: "A 'yes' vote to the above is a vote to increase your property taxes." What? Wait! Property taxes have already risen by a choking amount this year, I can't afford more! I've already been filling in circles for five minutes, and every other referendum question explained the choices before the yes/no decision. Now I have to see if I can legally tear up the ballot and start over? Forget it.
So the green space referendum will show an overwhelming landslide of support in my hometown. But the reason for the landslide, and I have to believe this was deliberate, was because the explanation of the significance of the choice was placed AFTER the vote was made.
Question bias is rampant in the survey world, but this was the most flagrant example on an election ballot that I can ever recall.
Posted by Rick Rappe'
Posted at 01:25 PM | | | | |