How the poll was conducted

Today's Star Tribune Minnesota Poll findings are based on interviews conducted Oct. 23-25 with 800 Minnesota likely voters via land line (80 percent) and cellphone (20 percent). The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc.

Results of a poll based on 800 interviews will vary by no more than 3.5 percentage points, plus or minus, from the overall population 95 times out of 100. Margins are larger for groups within the sample, such as Democrats and Republicans.

The self-identified party affiliation of the random sample is: 38 percent Democrat, 33 percent Republican and 29 percent independent or other.

Sampling error does not take into account other sources of variation inherent in public opinion surveys, such as non-response, question wording or context effects. In addition, news events may have affected opinions during the period the poll was taken.

Readers can e-mail questions to djmcgrath@ startribune.com.