The latest Gallup poll has Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain 51-42 among national voters, but some question how accurate polling is in sampling the opinions of American voters.

According to the Pew Research Center, polls conducted over landline phones are missing out on a population of voters who use only cell phones.

Approximately 13 percent of U.S. households no longer used landline phones, opting instead for cell phones.

“The National Health Interview Survey found them to be much younger, more likely to be African American or Hispanic, less likely to be married, and less likely to be a homeowner than adults with landline telephones,” according to information from the Pew Research Center. “These demographic characteristics are correlated with a wide range of social and political behaviors.”

Since the unpolled cell-using voters are believed to be young, new voters, polls could be missing out on one of the country’s fastest growing demographics.

According to state officials, Indiana has 740,970 new and updated registrations this election. In the 2004 presidential election, President George Bush beat John Kerry by only about 500,000 votes.

Alexandria resident Jim King said he believes the emergence of young voters leans in Obama’s favor.

“I think you’re going to have a record number of people voting this time,” King said, “with people who haven’t voted for a long time or probably never voted. Most of them will support Sen. Obama.”

Kasey Thomas of Anderson is one such voter. Although Thomas voted in the 2004 election, she re-registered by the Oct. 10 deadline this year to ensure that she gets to cast her vote.

Thomas, 23, said the 2004 election did little to help young voters navigate the election.

“I didn’t really feel like there was much information on the candidates,” Thomas said. “I pretty much read it all on my own. It wasn’t readily available.

“This election’s a lot better that they‘ve done more to get people involved.”

Thomas, like many of her 20-something counterparts, supports Obama in the November election because, she said, “he cares about the people. He really wants to turn this country back around and help the economy get back on track.”

Bill Watson, owner of The Pitt Barbecue and Grill in Anderson, has used his restaurant as a platform to attract new and young voters, and those who’ve never been active in presidential politics. “Some had moved here and didn’t register period. The rest of them were fresh, never voted before, didn’t take an interest in the process until now.”

Over the past month, Watson said, he’s helped 22 customers and acquaintances at the restaurant get registered to vote. “As soon as you’re able to vote, you better be voting. You’ve gotta have a stake in this thing.”