Question: If the elections for Senator were being held today, which candidate would you vote for, Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, Republican Lincoln Chafee or another candidate?

928 Registered Voters

Sheldon Whitehouse (D) 49%
Lincoln Chafee (R) 34%

699 Likely Voters

Sheldon Whitehouse (D) 50%
Lincoln Chafee (R) 39%
Other 3%
No Opinion 8%

About this Poll Results are based on telephone interviews with 928 Registered voters in Rhode Island, aged 18+, conducted September 27-October 1, 2006. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is +/-4 percentage points.

Results for likely voters in Rhode Island are based on the subsample of 699 survey respondents deemed most likely to vote in the November 2006 Midterm Election, according to a series of questions measuring current voting intentions and past voting behavior. For results based on the total sample of likely voters, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is +/-5 percentage points. Based on past voting history in Rhode Island, turnout is assumed to be 40% of the voting age population.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.