Lok Sabha Elections 2024: What are exit polls? When and how are they conducted?

As the Lok Sabha election results are set to be announced on June 4, 2024, everyone has set their eyes on the exit polls, which attempt to predict the outcome of elections. 

What is exit polls and how are they conducted?

An exit poll is a survey conducted immediately after voters leave polling stations. It gathers voters’s information on which candidate or party they voted for, in a bid to predict the result of an election.

Exit surveys are based on the concept that a voter’s memory is still fresh and they are likely to tell the truth when asked immediately.

These polls are conducted by various private agencies and not by any government body. Exit polls can be conducted online or in person, and different agencies use various sample sizes and procedures.

Emergence of Exit Polls in India

The exit polls emerged in India during the second Lok Sabha elections in 1957. The state-run broadcaster Doordarshan inducted the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies to conduct exit polls across the country in 1996.

Provisions regarding Exit Polls

According to the provisions of this Act, the Election Commission of India has implemented a prohibition that lasts from the beginning of polling hours on the first day until thirty minutes after voting ends on the last day of all phases.