2016 elections most credible, survey says

NEARLY nine in 10 Filipinos found the May 9 election results believable, according to a Pulse Asia survey that showed a “generally positive assessment” of the polls.

Also, virtually all Filipinos thought the elections were orderly, with the release of the poll results fast and no violence occurring in their localities.

The survey, conducted on July 2-8, asked 1,200 adults to compare the 2016 and 2013 elections according to several bases or standards. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.

Eighty-nine percent said the results of the last elections were believable, while 88 percent thought the same of the 2013 midterm elections.

A slightly higher proportion, 93 percent, believed that voting at their place this time was orderly with no confusion, more than the 92 percent on the 2013 polls.

For 92 percent of the respondents, the release of the election results was fast, while 86 percent believed this was so in 2013.

There was no violence in their place during the elections, according to 95 percent; while 89 percent could say the same for 2013.

Less vote-buying

Those who said there was no vote-buying in their area went up from 59 percent in 2013 to 66 percent in 2016; while 83 percent said no cheating occurred, up from 82 percent in 2013.

Further, the respondents were asked to compare the 2010 and 2016 polls, with 63 percent deeming the last elections more credible and 78 percent saying it was faster.

Forty-one percent said there was less cheating in the last elections compared to 2010.

The survey also showed 22 percent of respondents admitted they were offered money or other material thing in exchange for their vote in the 2016 elections and, among them, 74 percent accepted the offer.

Those who accepted money or material thing used it to buy food (83 percent), pay utilities (17 percent), and pay tuition and other school expenses (13 percent). Ana Roa, Inquirer Research