DOI: 10.3886/icpsr09357
title: WABC-TV/New York Daily News New York City Mayoral Election Polls, January-November, 1989
title: Archival Version

description: This data collection focuses on the 1989 New York City mayoral election. Parts 1-3 are telephone surveys conducted from late January through early September, prior to the primary election. In these surveys, respondents were asked if they were registered to vote, what their party designation was, if they intended to vote in the mayoral primary, for whom they would vote if the primary were held that day, toward which candidate they were leaning, and how strongly they supported that candidate. Respondents also were questioned about Ed Koch's performance as mayor, the most important problem facing New York City, the overall quality of life in New York City, personal qualities of a mayoral candidate they liked or disliked, and whether they agreed with a series of statements relating to abortion, the death penalty, and race relations. In Part 4, voters in the primary election were asked to fill out questionnaires as they exited the polling places. Questions asked include whether they voted in the Democratic or Republican primary, for whom they voted, and for which candidate they would vote if the general election were being held that day. Parts 5-8, conducted from late September through early November, are telephone surveys tracking voter opinion prior to the mayoral election. Respondents were asked if they were registered to vote, what their party designation was, and for whom they would vote if the election were held that day. Other topics covered include race relations, the respondent's knowledge and opinion of the candidates Rudolph Giulian and David Dinkins, and factors that would induce the respondent to vote for a candidate. In Part 9, voters in the mayoral general election were asked to complete questionnaires as they exited the polling places. Questions put to respondents included for whom they voted and why, how they had voted on Ballot Question #2 regarding abolishing the Board of Estimate and enlarging the City Council, if they felt their choice for mayor would help to solve New York City's biggest problems and what those problems were. Background information on respondents in this collection includes political alignment, 1985 mayoral vote choice, education, age, religion, race, sex, income, and borough of residence.
description: Datasets: 
 
 DS0: Study-Level Files 
 DS1: Pre-Primary Election Poll, January 22-24 
 DS2: Pre-Primary Election Poll, July 6-10 
 DS3: Primary Election Tracking Poll, September 5-11 
 DS4: Primary Election Exit Poll, September 12 
 DS5: Post-Primary Election Poll, September 18-20 
 DS6: General Election Tracking Poll, October 12-15 
 DS7: General Election Tracking Poll, October 17 
 DS8: General Election Tracking Poll, October 31-November 6 
 DS9: General Election Exit Poll, November 7
description: The data contain blanks and alphabetic characters. Part 2, and Parts 4-9 contain a weight variable that must be used in any analysis.
description: Parts 1-3, 5-8: Adults aged 18 and over living in households with telephones in New York City. Part 4: Voters participating in the September 12, 1989 primary election. Part 9: Voters participating in the November 7, 1989 mayoral election.
description: Parts 1-3, 5-8: Households were selected by random digit dialing. Within household, the respondent selected was the adult living in the household who last had a birthday and who was at home at the time of the interview. Parts 4 and 9: Polling places and individuals were chosen by random selection.