Rasmussen Reports collects data for its survey research using an automated polling methodology. Scott Rasmussen is a recognized pioneer in this field and has conducted automated surveys involving more than 4 million completed interviews since 1996. He has conducted more macro-sample studies than any other individual or company.

Generally speaking, the automated survey process is identical to that of traditional, operator-assisted research firms such as Gallup, Harris, and Roper. However, we use a single, digitally-recorded, voice to conduct the interview while traditional firms rely on phone banks, boiler rooms, and operator-assisted technology.

For tracking surveys such as the Rasmussen Index, the automated technology insures that every respondent hears exactly the same question, from the exact same voice, asked with the exact same inflection every single time. A person taking our survey tonight will hear the exact same thing that another respondent heard when we began this project in October 2001.

The first step in any survey project is to design the study. For the Rasmussen Index survey, we have a standard bank of questions that are asked each night. Most automated surveys involve 10 to 20 questions.

Following survey design, the Rasmussen Reports' questions are digitally recorded and fed to a calling program that determines question order, branching options, and other factors. Calls are placed to randomly-selected phone numbers through a process that insures appropriate geographic representation. We can ask open-ended questions and later transcribe the recorded responses if a project requires it. We rarely do so.

Survey questions to be asked on a given night can be submitted as late as mid-afternoon on the day of the survey. Typically, calls are placed from 5 pm to 9 pm local time during the week. Saturday calls are made from 11 am to 6 pm local time and Sunday calls from 1 pm to 9 pm local time.

After the calls are completed, the raw data is processed through a weighting program to insure that the sample reflects the overall population in terms of age, race, gender, political party, and other factors.