Zogby recently released the following statement about the accuracy of interactive polls.
From Zogby International:
Vindicated Interactive Polling By John Zogby
Much has been written about the use of interactive, or Internet-based, polling. Most critics claim it is not trustworthy or credible, but I have found interactive polling has proven to be accurate.
Our own final 2010 Congressional generic Zogby Interactive poll was very accurate, and matched closely or exactly with the exit polling. Specifically, here are the percentages in our Zogby sample and the actual exit voter poll turnout numbers in parentheses: conservatives 40% (41%), Democrats 36% (36%), Republicans 35% (36%), independents 30% (28%), white 78% (79%) and college graduates 45% (49%).
Just as important our last pre-election poll had independents breaking for Republicans, 54%-37%. The exit polls found the GOP winning among Independents, 56%-39%, all within the margin of error of our interactive poll findings.
While 2010 proved to be a good year for interactive polling, so have previous election years. In 2004, the last Zogby Interactive poll before the election (results on Nov. 1, 2004) found almost exactly the same results as the exit polling on Election Day, the Zogby results in parentheses, Bush 51% (50%) and Kerry 48% (49%). In 2008, we did not poll all the way up until Election Day, however, our last poll results (Oct. 31, 2008), were still very close to the actual results and certainly accurate for four days from the election. Specifically, the Zogby numbers (in parentheses) matched very closely to the actual results: Obama 52% (49%) and McCain 46% (47%).