Final answer:
Exit polls can dissuade or motivate voters based on perceived outcomes, potentially affecting the final voter turnout by up to 5%. Their accuracy can be compromised by participant bias and the exclusion of non-Election Day voters, leading to debates about their influence and utility in elections.
Step-by-step explanation:
The negative consequences of early exit polls include their potential to affect voter turnout and to produce inaccurate predictions. Studies indicate that early release of exit poll information can lead to a change in voter behavior, with reports of close races potentially increasing turnout and apparent landslides discouraging it. Therefore, the reporting of exit polls could influence outcomes by as much as 5 percent.
Furthermore, the data from exit polls can be unreliable due to factors such as the refusal to participate, dishonest responses, and the demographics of participants skewing towards a particular party. Additional complexities include social pressures influencing responses, as seen in the 'Bradley effect', and the exclusion of absentee and early voters from exit polling. Overall, the accuracy and impact of exit polls on actual election outcomes have become a matter of controversy.