Poll Shows Sheriff’s Race in the Hands of Undecided Voters

UPDATE:

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — It’s possible that as of Tuesday night, Livingston County may know who their next Sheriff will be.   According to an unofficial poll conducted by the GeneseeSun.com, however, it’s a very close race that could be decided by a large block of undecided voters.

The GeneseeSun.com conducted a small three-question phone survey in which 250 registered Republicans were called at random.  The phone list was purchased from the Livingston County Board of Elections, and the paper’s staff turned to every ninth page and called the numbers on that page until they reached 250 attempts.

The data was compiled over two days.  Of the 250 homes called, there were 38 respondents.

The three questions asked were:

1. Do you plan to vote in this year’s Republican primary race between Tom Dougherty and Jim Szezsniak on September 10th?

A. Yes: 34
B. No: 4

2. Who will you vote for: Tom Dougherty, Jim Sczesniak, are you undecided, or do you prefer not to say? Please remember all voter poll choices are anonymously recorded.

A. DOUGHERTY: 9
B. SZCZESNIAK: 8
C. UNDECIDED: 15
D. PREFER NOT TO SAY: 4

Total of 34 votes

3. Since both candidates announced their candidacy, have you changed your mind on who you will vote for?

A. YES: 3
B. NO: 31

Tuesday’s election is a primary, but it could be decisive.  Both the Republican and the Conservative parties are holding primaries that day, and both Dougherty and Szcesniak are on both ballots.  There is no Democratic candidate for Sheriff.  If either candidate wins both nominations, Conservative and Republican, the race is effectively over.

While the GeneseeSun.com’s poll is based on a small sample, the close numbers of decided voters and the sizable number of undecided voters — nearly half the respondents — suggests that at this point anything is possible, but the way that undecideds ultimately vote will be … well, decisive.

UPDATE: Two of those that participated in the tally stated that they preferred not to say were also not voting so they should be set aside from the vote count.