Do you use the poll option a lot on your site? Do your members? Do you notice that people actually vote or are the numbers really low? I notice that only the ones that have been around for ages get up to 50 replies/votes, but usually just a handfull actually participates.

Not massively. But it does get used.

I suppose that the poll option is a little limited for many of my users uses. At the moment it is one choice or unlimited. They would prefer a rating poll system, where people could pick multiple options in order of preference.

This would also be great for me as many of our polls relate to our classes and I just know that a person likes Rock music, but what I don't know is that it is their 5 choice out of 5 options on the list.

Mine are hardly ever used. In fact I can't remember the last time we had a poll.
Time to start a few I guess :D

I would say it's not a feature that is over used, but it's also one that isn't ignored, especially in general discussion forums. I also get some really stupid polls started at times, but I just strip those. As for the voting.... now that's another matter. The polls get started but I wouldn't say that as many members as have viewed the thread have also voted. Someone once pointed out a possible reason for this..... the problem is that when you click on 'go to new post' from the new posts search page for instance, you get taken to the new post with the poll not visible in the window (am I making sense?) so I was told that they were not actually aware of the poll until someone mentioned it in the thread and they scrolled up to find it.