Asking Questions - The Definitive Guide To Questionnaire Design ...

ASKING THREATENING QUESTIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR 87
Figure 3.4. Voting Questions.
1. In 1996 Bill Clinton ran on the Democratic ticket against Bob Dole for the
Republicans, and Ross Perot as an independent candidate. Do you
remember for sure whether or not you voted in that election?
Yes, Voted
No, Didn’t Vote
Don’t Know
(If Yes) Which one did you vote for?
Bill Clinton
Bob Dole
Ross Perot
Other (Specify)
Don’t Know
2. In talking to people about elections, we often find that a lot of people
were not able to vote because they weren’t registered, they were sick,
or they just didn’t have time. Which of the following statements best
describes you: One, I did not vote (in the election this November);
Two, I thought about voting this time—but didn’t; Three, I usually vote,
but didn’t this time; or Four, I am sure I voted?
I did not vote (in the election this November)
I thought about voting this time, but didn’t
I usually vote, but didn’t this time
I am sure I voted
Source: Burns and others, 2001.
Using words like “for certain” or “for sure” to indicate that not
remembering is a possible answer
Indicating that there are good reasons why people cannot
always vote
Providing the names of the candidates as a reminder and to
help avoid confusion with other elections
Asking the question as one of a series of other questions dealing
with political attitudes
Interestingly, one method that effectively reduces overreporting
is to obtain voting information from a household informant for
all household members, instead of obtaining individual data. The