Go Polling Poll results come in from multiple sources depending on how many a station accesses. Voter News Service, a cooperative effort of ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Fox News and the Associated Press, services 200 stations. A common practice is to hire outside pollsters. KATU's Mike Devlin uses his hired hand, Tim Hibbitts, for polling. The station does two polls, one seven to 14 days out and the other on election night, bringing in about a dozen people to do the job.
Many stations do their own polls to keep viewers and listeners posted on local races.
Some have volunteers. One source is the communications department of a local college. A few years ago, Ric Smith, an instructor at Auburn, suggested the idea. I stress the importance of real-world experience. On election night, Smith brings eight students in and they go right to work.