On August 28, a Wall Street Journal/Zogby Poll for the Connecticut US Senate race showed the Republican nominee at only 2%. The same poll showed independent candidate Joseph Lieberman 49%, Democrat Lamont 39%, other or don’t know 10%. Other candidates on the ballot are nominees of the Green and Constitution Parties.
The problem with polls is that they do not mention all the candidates. I have been called by these polls in the past and when I gave my name as who I am voting for (I was a ballot listed candidate) they said we will put you down as undecided.
I like that number. The downterm of the Connecticut Republican Party.
I have been involved with some polling before and after an election. You are right that some one not voting for a major party candidate is often labled as ‘undecided.’
Remember that if some one calls you to do a political poll or you do an exit poll outside it is often down by poor college students who have no say in how the poll is created. (So please be nice).
Much of it comes down to limited space on a the forms. Or a sense that most independent/minor party candidates are not likely to win. Remember that polls are often funded by a tv network or newspaper and they tend to cover politics as a hoarse race between two hoarses.
Ideally, one could simply ask, Democrat, Republican, undecided or ‘other’ and then if they pick other ask them the political party name.