Survey takes look at how Nevadans sift politics

A recently launched 15-minute survey could say a lot about how Nevada residents gather and digest political information.

The Nevada Press Association created the statewide online survey to gauge opinion about topics ranging from political candidates to newspaper endorsements and general advertising influence.

"We're trying to pin down where people get their info when looking at candidates in campaigns," Press Association Executive Director Barry Smith said.

The free survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete and includes mostly multiple- choice questions, also enrolls participants in a drawing for a prize.

Press Association officials expect about 2,000 responses during the poll's June run.

Smith said it is a mirror of other states' surveys, which established that newspaper readers also are informed voters.

"We don't have that kind of data for Nevada specifically," he said. "We want to know where and how you get your information."

The findings will aid in gauging future advertising tactics to connect candidates with voters.

The results of the survey will be available in six weeks, when they are released to the about 39 participating Nevada news outlets.

Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.