Did The Polls Get It Right?

For a second year in a row, the polls did not get it right. In fact, the polls didn’t do well at all! While Miss Oklahoma made both Top 10 lists, overall they each only got 40% of the Top 10 right. The polls are at the I Love Miss America homepage and Turn for the Judges; the results are as follows:

O . ILMAal .. ....Official........ .TFTJ .....
Poll ......... Results ........PPoll

#1. MS........#1. OK........#1. GA
#2. TX........#2. TX........#2. AR

#3. OK........#3. GA........#3. TX

#4. GA........#4. MS........#4. CO

#5. MI........#5. AL........#5. TN

#6. TN........n/a CA........#6. MS

#7. CO........n/a HI........#7. OK

#8. MO........n/a PA........#8. MS

#9. CT........n/a UT........#9. FL

#10. AR.......n/a WA........#10. VI

CMT also sponsored a contest in which you could win one million dollars if you selected the correct Top 10, Top 5 and Top 3 (in order). Neither a winner or results for this poll of sorts have been released. Fan message boards speculate that there was not a winner. Further, many feel certain states we put in the Top 10 to ensure there would be no one million dollar winner. As a contestant, I never allowed myself to “buy into” such conspiracy theories, however, with the fan polls down from last year’s 60% accuracy to this year’s 40%, I imagine many, like me, we disappointed and confused by the Top 10.

In another CMT Poll, Miss Missouri, Sarah French won the Best Smile award. Also, the Miss America contestants voted for Miss Congeniality while they filmed the show "Pageant School" early in the fall. The top three vote-getters were announced to the public, who then got to select the winner. Miss Congeniality went to Miss Alabama, Melinda Toole. While I appreciate encouraging audience involvement, I really feel that Miss Congeniality should be completely selected by the contestants.

In searching for other polls I found Is it time to scrap Miss America? and Do you watch the Miss America pageant? The results thus far are pretty disconcerting, so please, click and vote favorably.