UNIVERSITY PARK, Fla., March 31 (UPI) -- Pollsters say they're calling more cell phone numbers to ensure they reach enough men and younger people for their surveys.
"Landlines will get you much more female and much more older people," said Hugh Gladwin, head of the Institute for Public Opinion Research at Florida International University.
More than 20 percent of U.S. households use only cellphones, up from 7.1 percent in 2005, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Wednesday.
Nearly half of people ages 25 to 29 live without a landline, meaning pollsters can't get accurate results without including cell phones.
That presents problems for pollsters because many users resent using cell phone minutes for a poll, Gladwin said. Some pollsters are compensating cell phone users by offering $20 gift cards to those who finish a survey.
Pollsters calling cell phone numbers will only increase as more people jettison their landlines and do-not-call lists apply only to telemarketers, not to pollsters, Gladwin said.
