About this poll

On behalf of Forum Communications Co., Essman/Research of Des Moines, Iowa, conducted a statewide telephone survey of 500 likely North Dakota voters from Oct. 12 through Monday, contacting randomly dialed respondents with both landline telephones (75 percent) and cell phones (25 percent).

The poll has a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent. The breakdown of respondents was divided among:

* Gender: 51 percent women, 49 percent men.

* Political affiliation: 42 percent identified themselves as independents, 35 percent as Republicans, 19 percent as Democrats. Two percent refused to answer the question and 1 percent identified in another way.

* Age: 22 percent were 18 to 30; 26 percent were 31 to 45; 37 percent were 46 to 65; and 15 percent were older than 65.

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