In a poll taken from voice conversational computer software, Bill Bradley, Democratic presidential candidate, placed first with 23 percent, followed by Texas Gov. George W. Bush with 18 percent.

Iowa State professor of political science Steffen W. Schmidt and Loren Porter, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication, conducted the poll during the largest computer show in the world, COMDEX, on Nov. 15-20.

“When we were going to Las Vegas, I decided it would be interesting to ask tech people how they felt about the presidential race,” Schmidt said, “and I thought voice software was a good idea.”

Schmidt’s poll was conducted at his Web site, doctorpolitics.com, that was exhibited at COMDEX. The poll was answered by 314 people using conversational software by Conversa Computing of Redmond, Wash.

“Usually polls are conducted with people who focus on Democrats and Republicans,” Schmidt said. “I wanted a group that wasn’t very interested politically to figure out where they were coming from.”

Schmidt thought Bradley received a higher percentage of votes due to where those polled live.

“Bradley is pretty well-known on the West Coast, and there they tend to be pretty liberal on social views,” he said. “They really don’t want government telling them or writing too many laws on how to live their lives.”

Schmidt felt familiarity also helped Bush receive the most votes for any Republican candidate.

“The reason Bush is doing well is because he’s really well-known, and he is not quite as conservative as others,” he said.

Schmidt noted that Reform Party members Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who haven’t opted to join the campaign, received more votes than Republican candidate Gary Bauer and new Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan.

“I think a lot of people out there don’t like politics very much, and they think Trump and Ventura are outsiders in politics,” he said. “I think people thought it might be a good idea for those candidates to run for office.”

Schmidt said he believes that computers may be the bridge between voter apathy and voter turnout.

“I think we need elections in which people can vote on computers,” he said. “I think if people could talk to computers when they voted, a lot more people would vote.”

Jeff Sorensen, systems analyst at the Computation Center, sees computer voting becoming popular in the near future.

“I think it’s a natural progression in a way to take surveys and voting,” he said.

The margin of error of the poll was plus or minus 5 percent.