While sitting on a bench outside of Wells Hall on Tuesday, Jennifer Brownlee pulled out her cell phone for a quick chat.
The general management senior said for the last three years, she has exclusively relied on the handheld device to make calls.
"It's expensive to have two phones, especially as college students. We're always on the go," she said. "It's easier to have it with you than to go home and check messages."
Brownlee said almost all her friends only use cell phones for calls. As she spoke, more students streamed out of the building and many flipped out their phones.
While these users can call any number they choose, they won't find themselves called by local pollsters looking for their opinions about the upcoming presidential election. Polling companies only dial up residential lines, not business or cellular ones.
This has led some young people and pollsters to question how accurate polls are and whether changes will need to be made in the future.
"The demographic is probably cut down a lot," said marketing sophomore Matt Koziara.
A poll at Mitchell Market Research & Communications starts with dividing the state into geographical regions, said Heather Therrien, vice president of the East Lansing company. Other factors include the accurate proportions of women, religion and union membership. All people polled first undergo "filter" question to see if they are likely voters.
"Eighteen to 24 year olds, it's a small group," she said. "But they don't vote like they should."
Because this group isn't as likely to vote, their opinions aren't included as much into polls, which strive to represent Election Day turnout, Therrien said. She estimated about 3 percent of each 600 person-poll includes 18-24 year olds.
"We do believe that they are being tracked and that age group is being represented properly," she said. "But the fact of the matter is, they are such a small portion of the voting electorate."
Meanwhile, the number of residential lines used in Michigan has gone down, while the number of wireless lines has gone up, said Judy Palnau, spokeswoman for Michigan's Public Service Commission.
She said the most recent surveys indicated about 3.9 million residential lines in the state and 4.9 million cell phones. In addition, a study by the Federal Communications Commission said that 3 percent of people who use cell phones use them exclusively, Palnau said.
"A large portion of those would be for business-use only," she said of the cell phones.
And although many young people are the users of cell phones, their opinions can be reached through other methods, said Ed Sarpolus, vice president of EPIC-MRA polling. He said his polls are still accurate but will have to be adapted for the next presidential election in four years.
"Are we reaching college students? Yes," he said. "Are they all on campus? No."
Sarpolus said young people can be reached through land lines and their opinions are not different from their counterparts who only rely on cell phones.
But increasingly, more people are relying on cell phones and new methods will have to be used in the future, including published lists of cell phone numbers.
"We have to pick up the cost of the call," he said. "We can't create a bill for you.
"Something will be worked out."
But some students don't like the idea of pollsters knowing their private number.
"I don't really want them to call, but if it's quick and from a reputable source, I do it," said Koziara, the marketing sophomore. "But if my number is going to be all over the place, then it's not something I'd want."
