Networks Plan Single Exit Poll for Big Elections

The three major networks and Cable News Network are expected to announce this week the formation of a single, cooperative exit poll unit for major elections, designed to cut costs and eliminate the competition that has sometimes produced election predictions before all the votes are cast on the West Coast.

Under the new plan, all four networks will receive Election Day poll results simultaneously, enabling them to project major winners in concert if they choose. The future competition, therefore, will be in the analysis and interpretations each makes from the available data.

In the past the ABC, CBS and NBC units have projected winners within minutes of each other, with few major problems and few differences in the quality of the projections.

Rep. Al Swift (D-Wash.) has been monitoring the talks among the networks. Swift, like many West Coast elected officials, has been concerned about premature projections affecting results in the Pacific time zone. One knowledgeable source said Sunday that Swift has been assured that all four will continue their existing policy--not to project winners until the vast majority of polls have been closed on Election Day in a given state.

The Voter Research and Surveys group will be funded for an initial five years, beginning with this election year.

Each of the four partners will initially contribute $3 million. CNN has not previously had a projection unit, but for ABC, CBS and NBC, the cooperative effort will represent a savings of up to $10 million each over the five years.