HOW THE POLL WAS CONDUCTED

Today's Star Tribune Minnesota Poll findings were based on 804 land-line and 402 cell phone interviews conducted Oct. 18-21 with a representative sample of Minnesota adults. Of that sample, 999 were deemed to be likely voters, and the poll results are based on those respondents. Interviews were conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International.

Results of a poll based on 999 interviews will vary by no more than 3.9 percentage points, plus or minus, from the overall population 95 times out of 100.

The 999 respondents were designated as likely voters based on answers to questions about their voting history and intentions. After sample weighting, likely voters make up 74 percent of the weighted sample. This is not intended as a projection of actual voter turnout, which is expected to be somewhat lower.

The self-identified party affiliation of the random sample is: 34 percent Democrat, 30 percent Republican and 31 percent independent for likely voters. The remaining 5 percent said they were members of another party, no party or declined to answer.