# Poll weirdness **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 15, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269 "2010-12-15T19:27:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/1 "2010-12-15T19:27:35Z")
I’ve noticed a couple of weird things that happen sometimes when answering polls, and I just experienced both of them within about 5 minutes. When I answered the “[sandwich](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=589382)” multiple-choice poll, I checked several types. After voting, I noticed that only _one_ of my choices was italicized, and that option had _zero_ votes! In the “[Tootsie Pop vs Blow Pop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=589316)” poll, when the page refreshed after I voted, there were no results showing. I had to go to “see results” which only showed the results but not the thread. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen before, but I’m finally het up about it enough to inquire. What’s the deal? Is it something about the way the poll is written? Is it one of those wacky things that happens for no discernible reason? Is it just _me_? Please relieve my curiosity before I go INSANE(r)! ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/2 "2010-12-16T04:07:24Z")
Hasn’t happened to me. Maybe you have something going on with your anti-virus software (which is a complete WAG, I ain’t no computer guy). ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/3 "2010-12-16T04:30:28Z")
I have experienced your second situation, seemingly at random, both on my PC and my Droid phone. Joe ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/4 "2010-12-16T12:23:05Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > I have experienced your second situation, seemingly at random, both on my PC and my Droid phone. > > Joe Me, too. I’ve tried voting again, to see if that trips whatever flag needs to be tripped, but it won’t let you do that. For that particular poll, I am stuck having to click the results link, where my choices may or may not be italicized. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/5 "2010-12-16T14:26:01Z")
Not sure what makes that happen. Vb is just weird sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/6 "2010-12-16T16:11:41Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Vb is just weird sometimes. OK, I’ll add it to the list. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is weird: 1. Cats 2. Vb 3. Men 4. Women 5. … ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/7 "2010-12-17T01:09:25Z")
Well, since there is no official answer, I’ll make a guess: it’s like everything else–if there is a high load on the server at the time, certain less than essential processes don’t get performed until later. And that, sometimes, the log of what to do later gets reset (which would definitely happen after a reboot, for instance.) ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-weirdness/564269/8 "2010-12-17T04:56:21Z")
Hmmm… so it’s the hamsters’ fault.