Which one of the following statements regarding ‘Exit Poll’ is correct ?

An exit poll is a survey conducted immediately after voters have cast their votes to determine whom they actually voted for; it is explicitly described as an opinion survey about how electors have voted at an election [1]. Methodologically, exit polls are carried out by interviewing voters as they leave polling locations, using sampled polling units to estimate outcomes and voter behaviour on Election Day [2]. Hence Option 1 correctly defines an exit poll as a post‑election survey of voters about the candidate for whom they exercised their franchise. Options 2, 3 and 4 are incorrect because opinion polls are pre‑voting surveys, exit polls provide estimates not exact results, and they are survey instruments, not an administrative anti‑impersonation device.

Sources

1. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 82: Electoral Reforms > ELECTORAL REFORMS SINCE 2010 > p. 586
2. [2] https://aapor.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Explaining-Exit-Polls-508.pdf