SoonerPoll’s Bill Shapard writes open letter to Governor Fallin over horse slaughter poll results

Dear Governor Fallin,

I write to you today to share with you results of our most recent polling regarding legislation to repeal the ban on horse slaughter in Oklahoma.

Given the rather fast pace this legislation has made its way through the legislature, my intent is to make sure that the collective voice of the voting public is heard and taken into consideration on this issue.

As Oklahoma’s public opinion pollster, it is NOT my mission, directly or indirectly, to advocate for or against any particular legislation or public policy. While this particular poll was commissioned by two organizations that have taken a position on the legislation, I wrote the survey instrument with the full intent to ask a probability sample of likely voters unbiased questions and present both sides fairly.

PDF of the letter to Governor Fallin

I would also like to note that SoonerPoll.com has provided complete disclosure of the poll results, instrumentation, and a Call Disposition Report including rate calculations, some of which exceeds the minimum disclosure requirements of my profession. Our survey methods are also provided with complete transparency with the public on our website.

There has been mention in media reports of another poll conducted by an out-of-state firm with conflicting results. I would like to point out that this organization has not completely provided their results for review, or met even the minimum public disclose standards outlined by the polling industry. The results of this poll, therefore, should NOT be considered until complete disclosure is provided.

It is my hope that you will, in your capacity as governor of our fine state, carefully consider the public’s collective opinion on this legislation as you decide whether to sign this legislation or not.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.