In a hands-on learning opportunity, West Shore Community College students will conduct exit polls during this year’s general election on Tues., Nov. 5. Sponsored by the WSCC Student Senate, this project will allow several students from various academic disciplines to gather and analyze voter data from Mason and Manistee Counties. Exit polls will be conducted at two locations: Hamlin Township Hall in Mason County and the Wagoner Community Center in Manistee County.
The exit polls are designed to take less than five minutes for voters to complete, and all individual responses will remain confidential, with only aggregated data used in analysis. This is WSCC’s second time having involvement with an exit polling project, following the success of their first polling experience during Michigan’s primary election in March 2020, where more than 300 voters participated, and results were published in Ludington and Manistee newspapers.
Professor Mike Nagle, WSCC’s history and political science instructor, shared his enthusiasm for the project. “This is quite an undertaking, but we’re excited to see how things go. The students are driving much of this,” said Nagle. “The project is valuable for the curriculum in math, political science, and sociology classes, but it also connects service learning, active learning, and experiential learning to the traditional curriculum in many ways. We’re eager to analyze the results and plan to publicize the findings after the election.”
WSCC students will contribute to the project in several ways:
- Exit Poll Surveyors: Students will work in shifts of approximately two hours between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., operating in groups of two or three. They will remain at least 20 feet from polling entrance doors and will only approach voters after they have cast their ballots, as per state guidelines. Surveyors will wear visible identification to ensure voters know they are participating in a WSCC academic project. Each surveyor must attend a training session prior to election day.
- Data Entry Volunteers: After the surveys are collected, students will assist in entering the information into a digital database for further analysis.
- Data Analysts: Enrolled in math, political science, and sociology courses, students will analyze the gathered data, comparing findings with previous election results and other areas in Michigan. This analysis will allow them to explore patterns, contrasts, and potential correlations in voter behavior.
To maintain integrity and compliance with state regulations, students understand that no entry into polling locations is allowed. Only voters exiting the polls will be approached, ensuring no interference with voters entering the polling location. Mason County Clerk Cheryl Kelly and Manistee County Clerk Shelli Johnson have been informed of this initiative, and the project will proceed under all regulatory guidelines.
For additional information about the project, please contact Professor Mike Nagle at mwnagle@westshore.edu or 231-843-5905.