(A Minnesota voter receives an "I voted" sticker from a polling place worker)Photo by Jim Mone © 2004 Associated Press
By Kate Fagut
According to the firstamendmentcenter.org, reporters in Minnesota will now be permitted to conduct exit polling in the upcoming election. U.S. District Judge Michael Davis ruled in favor of the AP, ABC, CNN, CBS, Fox News and NBC new organizations, ordering that they be allowed to conduct exit polling as long as it does not interfere with people coming and going from the polling place.
According to Davis, "There has been no evidence presented to the Court that exit polling in any way has a detrimental effect on the orderly and corruption-free polling place.”
The news organizations had sued Minnesota alleging that a law banning anyone but voters and election judges from standing within 100-feet of a designated polling place violated their First Amendment Rights.
The law was previously enacted to ensure peace at the polls and give election officials the power to prevent disturbances. The preliminary injunction, granted in favor of the news organizations, will apply directly to pollsters and will allow them to conduct interviews as citizens leave the polling place. News organizations are still looking to make the preliminary injunction permanent.
Susan Buckley, Attorney for the news organizations, was very happy with the verdict. "I think this is a terrific victory for the First Amendment and for the right of voters in Minnesota to express their views about this extraordinary election, should they choose to.”
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