I noticed after posting that the “Thank you for posting” message seemed a bit longer than usual. It mentioned that if you had requested a poll, you would be able to do so forthwith etc…, just like over at the Unaboard.
So, can we? Or was it a fluke?
No, that’s just the default message.
It’s always been that way (at least since I registered back in January this year). Polls chew up bandwidth and resources, so they are disabled.
Pssssst! Jerrry, change that message, man.
Referring to the FAQ first, as the Staff has asked us to do:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103503
To interject some actual facts in here - polls do not chew up resources and bandwidth much more than normal posting and viewing. My board has about 1/20 the bandwidth and resources and is able to accomodate hundreds of polls with no difficulty whatsoever.
HOWEVER, there is a catch - because creating a poll in vBulletin is a multi-step process, which involves pulling up at least 3 different screens (initial post, poll option selections, and then confirmation and INSERT), a board which is having the server issues that the SDMB is would likely have a lot of broken polls due to the server dying in one of these steps. It’s hard enough at times to simply post a new thread. Plus, a lot of people make mistakes in polls - often critical mistakes - that require Moderator action to edit the poll, or sometimes delete the poll entirely and allow them to create a new one. More work that the Staff does not need. Approximately 1 out of every 10 polls posted on my Board needs Moderator assistance for some reason or another, and from that standpoint it could require increased resources and bandwidth.
It is also likely to assume that the SDMB has chosen to disable them for one or more of the other reasons listed in the FAQ besides the above.
Eh. I didn’t mean to sound sarcastic towards you, Q.E.D., w.r.t. resources and bandwidth in any way. It sounded much more “conversational” saying it out loud than it looks on the screen. In fact, a lot of things I type are said with significant inflection out loud when I say it, such that the meaning is wholly different. No wonder so many people hate me - they must think I’m a bitch 24/7.
No way, Anthracite, we know you take a day off. 
I do appreciate the replies. I didn’t think we could post polls, due to bandwidth, but seeing that message threw me off. I guess I wasn’t paying attention, and the part about posting a poll has been there all along.