Bloomberg is gathering detailed voting data

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has begun detailed polling and sophisticated voter analysis in all 50 states as he considers an independent bid for president, associates said Wednesday.

The information gathering quietly started months ago, and when the analysis begins shortly, it will provide the data-obsessed billionaire businessman with the information he will use to decide whether to launch a run for the White House.

The scope of the research, details of which were revealed to the Associated Press, demonstrates how seriously Bloomberg is considering running, despite his almost-daily denials that he isn’t entering the race.

The extensive coast-to-coast research effort shows that Bloomberg is willing to dig deep into his wallet simply to gauge his chances of winning and lining up the proper support network along the way.

“They want a hardheaded sense of their chances,” said Doug Schoen, who spearheaded Bloomberg’s voter database efforts, known as micro-targeting, for his two mayoral campaigns.

Bloomberg Press Secretary Stu Loeser declined to comment.