Half of Gen Z voters — and 1 in 4 U.S. voters overall — have lied to people close to them about who they’re voting for, according to the latest Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll.

The findings raise big questions about the limits and future of polling, which relies on voters giving responses reflecting their real-life political behavior.

  • Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de
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    11 days ago

    Some likely don’t want retribution from their far right family members, others didn’t want to talk politics with Uncle Bob, who will talk and talk forever if you don’t agree with him, others want to mess with the polls.

    • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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      11 days ago

      Dont be too confident in the secretly voting Dem demographic. Unfortunately, that pendulum swings both ways. It can just as easily be Trump supporters who don’t want to face social consequences for that choice as well.

      • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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        11 days ago

        There are a lot of ignorant gen-z men with a victim complex and a TikTok account that are closet fascists and follow right wing propaganda targeted towards a younger audience. They might not want to admit that they are pathetic losers to their friends and family.

          • Feathercrown@lemmy.world
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            11 days ago

            Unfoetunately fascists form communities, so they do have friends. That’s why it’s so hard to get through to them.

            • barsquid@lemmy.world
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              11 days ago

              IMO they have fellow fascists, until they make a mistake and find how shallow the relationship is. I find it hard to imagine people choosing hatred over skin color will stick around if a relationship starts taking any effort.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          10 days ago

          Yeah, I’m prepared to be extremely disappointed by my fellow men (particularly young, white men), next week.

          Sad state of affairs.

          I hope that the women-folk can drag us into modernity, kicking and screaming.

          (Is it ok to say “women-folk”?)

      • taiyang@lemmy.world
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        11 days ago

        Exactly, that’s how 2016 was. I suspect it’s the same this year, although given how dependent Gen Z is on parents financially, I’d still get the secret Harris supporters have better reason to withhold the truth this year. I can’t imagine a Harris supporter kicking out their Trump son (even if they’re definitely disappointed).

        I sure as hell wouldn’t wanna get kicked out over my vote. And really, that isn’t even a Gen Z thing honestly, my dad got kicked out at 15 for leftist views and that was the 70s.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          10 days ago

          I have nothing to back this up besides anecdotal evidence, at best, but I suspect that the number of millennials who are willing to disown their children about anything, let alone politics, is lower than previous generations.

          At least I hope so.

          • taiyang@lemmy.world
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            10 days ago

            Gosh I hope so. Actually data would back you up, I think, since millennials lean left and are more educated and less religious. All factors that help in that regard.

      • Aolley@lemmy.world
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        11 days ago

        I can see that. If you’re a hateful or bigoted person and you tell people about that then they like you less usually, so by not telling people about your trump support you would lose less friends

      • atempuser23@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        This is easily the case since they have been taught they are persecuted. Only once they win can they rise up stand proud. I remember coworkers coming out after the last election.

      • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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        11 days ago

        Or maybe just people unwilling to support Harris because of her refusal to commit to stopping Palestinian genocide who are sick of hearing they’re Trump supporters

  • Asafum@feddit.nl
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    11 days ago

    “Voters across the political spectrum said they’ve lied about their voting: 27% of Democrats acknowledged it, while 24% of Republicans and 20% of independents did so. The survey didn’t ask exactly how, why or to whom they’d lied.”

    Also…

    “40% of voters said they planned to wait until Election Day to vote, just in case something changes — with another 8% saying it will probably be a “gut decision” in the voting booth.”

      • atempuser23@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        Are you sure that they are in denial? I do not believe in the ignorant bigot anymore. They are just trying to balance punishment of those they don’t like vs personal gain.

  • meyotch@slrpnk.net
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    11 days ago

    I take it as a major moral obligation to lie to pollsters. For similar reasons, when using a proprietary LLM, I make sure to inject completely random profanity in all my responses to poison their training data.

    ALL polls are push polls.

    • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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      11 days ago

      I remember when I was in 7th or 8th grade, everyone had to take an anonymous mandatory survey. That day I was a chronic hard drug user. The amount of drugs I was allegedly taking would have bankrupt a millionaire. Absolutely a waste of everyone’s time and money.

    • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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      10 days ago

      That’s not at all what it says. The article is then saying they will lie about it, but that could be to friends and family.

      • egrets@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        It was a joke, but the article itself does explicitly conclude this as one of its observations:

        The findings raise big questions about the limits and future of polling, which relies on voters giving responses reflecting their real-life political behavior.

  • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    If a pollster somehow gets through to me, they are not get a reasonable or PC answer. I’m telling them all sorts of terrible things I think about their uninvited solicitation of me, and where they can shove. If I wasn’t a petulant child that responds to cunts that way, I still wouldn’t give them anything. I won’t put a sign outside my house, because Republicans are fucking crazy and self proclaimed “domestic terrorists”, and staying off any of their lists is certainly a forethought.

    • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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      10 days ago

      Or, you know, instead of getting all worked up and raging unnecessarily, you could just hang up.

      • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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        10 days ago

        Nope. Spam should cost the spammer in time wasted. Alone, it’s a small thing; but it scales really well.

        • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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          10 days ago

          If you want to waste your own time and be angry, you do you. Sometimes I’ll string them along if I’m in the mood, but I’m not all angry doing it, I’m enjoying it.

      • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        No. I want the people that interfere with my me time to know how worthless I think they are. They didn’t get that if I hang up.

        • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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          10 days ago

          Go on you for making some poor worker bee just trying to make a buck feel worthless. Very noble goal that will certainly change things.

          • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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            10 days ago

            It’s not hard. Stay the fuck out of my personal space and time, and I won’t lambast you for invading my personal space and time. Nobody made a pollster call me, or a religious nut solicit me at my residence. If I’m in a public place and someone approaches me, I say no thanks and move on, but that curtousy ends when at personal space.

            • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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              10 days ago

              It’s not hard.

              It’s also not hard to not get all angry and be an asshole to someone just trying to make a buck. It’s also pointless because this poor person on the other end of the phone is not really in charge of whether or not it happens, they are just getting paid. So being an asshole to them just makes you an asshole, not some noble warrior. If you’re happy with being an asshole for no good reason, more power to you, I guess.

              • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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                10 days ago

                I gave you plenty of good reasons for being an asshole. Idgaf if that person’s only job prospect was a pollster, because the position as it exists is inherently intrusive and should be legal. I have absolutely zero remorse for being an asshole to the asshole that’s bugging me. Maybe if I’m shitty enough, they’ll report me and they’ll put me on a do not call list.

                If you want to cater to them, more power to you, but I’m not here to care about the feelings of the asshole that’s bugging me.

                • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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                  10 days ago

                  I gave you plenty of good reasons for being an asshole.

                  You gave plenty of good reasons why their actions make you upset and offend you. This is not the same as them being good reasons to be an asshole. If someone offends you and you are pointlessly an asshole to them as a result, that just makes you an asshole too.

                  Maybe if I’m shitty enough, they’ll report me and they’ll put me on a do not call list.

                  Another poster here pointed out, from their personal experience do this type of work, that they don’t really care. They just hang up and move to the next person. By getting angry and being an asshole to them is almost certainly pointless and will not have this result. Almost certainly, if your goal is to get removed from these lists, you would be better served to ask them kindly to be put on some do-not-call list. I know it has worked for me.

          • bitjunkie@lemmy.world
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            10 days ago

            I’ve worked call centers and I assure you no one gives a fuck about a bad reaction as soon as it’s over. I’d imagine it’s a similar dynamic for phonebankers.

            • EatATaco@lemm.ee
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              10 days ago

              Okay, so change it to “good on your for trying to make some poor worker bee feel worthless”

              It only makes it worse, because it’s both assholish and ineffective.

  • nucleative@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    I really wonder how they get a representative sample these days. I haven’t answered my phone for years and I’m surely not the only one.

    Do they only call, or do they send DMs on TikTok or what?

    • IphtashuFitz@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      I’ve also gotten SMS spam that looks like potential legitimate pollsters, but hell if I’ll click on them. Between all the obvious spam texts I’ve gotten over the years and the flood of political spam the past few months, I simply ignore and delete them all…

      • stoned_ape@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        This is my current spam inbox on my texts messages. I engage sometimes a la the top text, but also my name isn’t Renay and I’ve had this phone number for many many years

        • whoisearth@lemmy.ca
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          10 days ago

          These damn radical Democrats up to no good! I’m so glad I’m getting notified of their shenanigans! /S

  • mlg@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    I’m pretty sure the most accurate poll so far has been the nickelodeon kids poll because it’s technically a side channel info dump since kids would actually want to participate and they typically represent their parents’ views.

    It was 52-48 in Harris’s favor.

    The Kids Pick the President “Kids’ Vote” is an informal non-scientific poll, meant for entertainment purposes only.

    Either that or they fudged the results to keep parents happy lmao

    • lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee
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      10 days ago

      Even that might be wrong because at least some of those mothers are afraid to voice their real views. So I agree with you but I still think it might be skewed too heavily in Trump’s favor.

  • sorval_the_eeter@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    Disclosure is not owed to anyone on this issue. I think if you are asking the question, you should expect evasiveness up to the point of lying. Its a reflection of how bad things are in our government.

    • lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee
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      10 days ago

      It can be physically and emotionally unsafe to disclose how you voted. Its gross for media to try to blame people for doing their part but doing it safely instead of blaming the terrorists who makes people afraid to tell the truth.

    • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      Yup, if Trump wins and starts enacting fascist policies, I’ll 100% be defaulting to “oh who has time for politics” when anyone asks what my views are. Because I’ll have to assume that if someone is asking, it’s to report me if I’m too liberal. It’s always important to remember that the nazi camps didn’t start with Jews; It started with political prisoners and dissenters who spoke out against the government. Because when a fascist government is seizing control, the first thing they’ll do is try to silence the opposition.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      I agree. The real story here is half of Gen Z felt like they had to lie. When I was growing up it was perfectly acceptable, even to my parents, to say I don’t want to talk about it. It’s a secret ballot for a reason.

  • kitnaht@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    Welcome to … well, all of history? This isn’t news. There have been plenty of times and plenty of reasons throughout history where people have needed/wanted to lie about who they were voting for.

      • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        11 days ago

        Compared to the enlightened discussions we have as things are? Social media made talking about politics more ubiquitous than ever and it only made things worse. Also this may surprise you but you can talk politics without disclosing who you vote for.

        • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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          I’m saying this is how things are. It is currently unacceptable to discuss politics in public. It’s impolite to point out bigotry or fascism. It’s uncomfortable to ask someone if they are batshit insane. We should normalize normal again, and we can’t get there if social norms preclude discussing the malignant hate-based ideology that is prevalent right now.

          • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            And why is it necessary to disclose who you’re voting for to do any of that? In fact I’d argue not disclosing who you vote for makes these conversations easier because you cant just instantly jump onto us vs them mentality and tune someone out before listening.

            • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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              11 days ago

              Because if you’re not voting for Harris, you’re supporting a racist, rapist, fascist felon who wants to use the national guard to murder me and people I care about. Pardon me for being curious.

        • tee9000@lemmy.world
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          11 days ago

          Seriously. If you try to talk about a political issue at face value without making your “side” clear then people fill in those blanks for you as though you made a mistake in being too ambiguous.

          • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            And they wonder why it’s devolved into tribalism while shaming everyone who doesn’t cheer for their team loud enough. The hypocrisy is deafening.

            • tee9000@lemmy.world
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              10 days ago

              People want to participate but they dont want to read or think.

              Low effort stuff needs to be punished in discussion-based communities like politics, technology and news. Mods are just happy to see people parroting the correct viewpoints but even if they are valid viewpoints theres no meaning behind them because people are memeifying their ideologies.

              I would love to see bans for “revealing your side” so that people come to their own conclusions based on the truest information we can discuss. People are afraid of others coming to the wrong conclusions and fail to trust others to think so they tell them what to think.

              It drives me fucking mad.

              • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                Can’t say I support going as far bans or punitive action for revealing your side, but I absolutly agree that people use it to speed by all your arguments, concerns, comments, and just berate you until you do exactly what they do. I could get behind punishing people who bully or harass someone into disclosing their side thoguh, because thats textbook harassment (some Americans just call that ‘voter outreach’ thoguh)

        • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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          11 days ago

          Agreed. We should fix that by making it socially acceptable to discuss politics. We start that by first stomping out all the Nazis.

  • Media Bias Fact Checker@lemmy.worldB
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    Axios - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)

    Information for Axios:

    Wiki: reliable - There is consensus that Axios is generally reliable. Some editors consider Axios to be a biased or opinionated source. Statements of opinion should be attributed and evaluated for due weight.


    MBFC: Left-Center - Credibility: High - Factual Reporting: High - United States of America


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    https://www.axios.com/2024/10/30/election-gen-z-voting-lies?utm=axios_app

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