Filipinos prefer automated polls
Credit to Author: WILLIAM DEPASUPIL, TMT| Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:15:49 +0000
A great majority of Filipino voters want the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to continue using its automated voting system in future elections, according to Pulse Asia.
In an election survey presentation on Wednesday, the pollster said 9 in 10 Filipinos or 91 percent said they would like to see automated voting in future elections.
The same survey showed that 87 percent of those polled were satisfied with the automated polling system or the use of vote counting machines (VCMs), while 84 percent trusted the results.
The satisfaction rating on the use of the automated polling system was 4 percent higher than the rating culled after the 2016 presidential elections.
Pulse Asia said 94 percent of those surveyed described the elections held in May this year as orderly, while 83 and 82 percent noted the speed and credibility of the results.
“This is surprising as 94 percent found the vote counting machines easy to use,” the agency said.
The survey, according to Pulse Asia, showed that people were generally satisfied with the conduct and outcome of the May 13, 2019 national and local polls.
“The satisfaction with automation is high despite doubts cast upon it. While errors occurred in May, these are opportunities to learn and grow from,” it said.
It pointed out that the integrity of elections is key to a legitimate government, stressing that as far as the last election is concerned, “it was credible and sound.”
The Comelec had said the election was a success despite some problems encountered in several precincts, such as defective VCMs.
A separate survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) also showed that majority of Filipinos were satisfied with the conduct and the results of the May 2019 elections.
The nationwide survey, conducted from June 22 to 26 among 1,200 respondents, showed that 80 percent of those polled were satisfied, consisting of 38 percent strongly satisfied and 43 percent somewhat satisfied.
Meanwhile, 12 percent were dissatisfied and 7 percent were undecided, for a net satisfaction score (percent satisfied minus percent dissatisfied) of plus +68, classified by SWS as “very good.”
But this was 5 points lower than the record-high “excellent” +73 rating in June 2016.
Net satisfaction on the conduct of the May 13, 2019 elections was highest in Mindanao at excellent +77, followed by the Visayas at excellent +71, rest of Luzon at very good +66, and Metro Manila at very good +54.
SWS said 79 percent of the respondents agreed “the Commission on Elections performed independently without favoring any candidate or group.”
The survey also showed that 86 percent of those polled said the result of the senatorial election was “believable.”
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Malacañang was “pleased” with the survey results.
“The results of the latest survey confirm the desire of the populace for the continuance of the genuine and meaningful change President Rodrigo Duterte has initiated for our country three years ago,” Panelo said.
“The survey results should put to rest the doubt cast by the vociferous and partisan minority upon the integrity of the midterm elections, as well as put a halt to their condescending and elitist remarks on the preference of the Filipino majority,” he added.
Panelo said the President “remains committed in asking the Commission on Elections to have a fraud-free technology provider in 2022 as part of his lasting electoral reform legacy to the nation.”
The June 2019 survey, conducted using face-to-face interviews, had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
WITH CATHERINE S. VALENTE