Automated polls not known to most Pinoys

With only four months to go before the automated polls—a first in Philippine election history—about seven out of 10, or 71 percent of Filipinos do not know the new polling system or know little of it.

According to a recent Pulse Asia survey on public awareness of the automated election system (AES), 46 percent of the 71 percent who are not aware of the automated polls said that they know little about it.

Furthermore, 25 percent of the 71 percent admitted not knowing anything about the automated polls.

Pulse Asia said that “little [or] no knowledge about the AES is reported by majorities in the different geographic areas [62 percent to 80 percent] and socioeconomic groupings [61 percent to 79 percent].”

On the other hand, only 8 percent of Filipinos are well informed about the automated polls while 20 percent said that they know enough about it.

Pulse Asia noted that good or sufficient knowledge about the new system is more pronounced in Metro Manila and in the Class ABC, both at 39 percent, than in the other geographic areas and socioeconomic classes.

Comparing the results of its survey that it conducted in October 2009, it said that more Filipinos reported having little knowledge of the automated polls in January 2010, or 46 percent compared to 40 percent.

Also, fewer Filipinos are saying that they have good (8 percent now compared to 13 percent before) or sufficient knowledge (20 percent now compared to 26 percent before) on the automated polls.

In Class ABC, there is a sizeable increase in the percentage of those with little knowledge (+14 percentage points) and a decline in those with enough knowledge (-13 percentage points) between the periods of the two surveys.

Teachers as poll inspectors
The same Pulse Asia survey also found that 63 percent trust the country’s public school teachers to act impartially as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI).

Sixty-six percent also believe in the capability of the public school teachers to manage the AES in the coming elections.

“The predominant sentiment among Filipinos is one of trust in the impartiality of public school teachers in their performance of their role as BEI members and belief in their capability to manage the AES in May 2010,” Pulse Asia reported.

The survey findings said that these views are shared by majorities across geographic areas (62 percent to 72 percent) and socioeconomic groupings (63 percent to 72 percent).

Ready for automation
Pulse Asia said that based on the results of its survey, about one out of every two Filipinos, or 52 percent, think that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is prepared to effectively implement the automated polls in May 2010.

The survey firm said that such view is adopted by big pluralities to sizeable majorities across geographic areas (44 percent to 67 percent) and socioeconomic groupings (50 percent to 52 percent).

Filipinos who think that the May 2010 polls will be clean and their results credible because of automation greatly outnumber those who think otherwise, or 48 percent to 14 percent, Pulse Asia said.

“For nearly one in two Filipinos [48 percent], the results of the May 2010 elections will be credible because of automated vote counting—a view articulated by big pluralities to sizeable majorities in most geographic areas [i.e., including sub-regions] and socioeconomic classes [44 percent to 63 percent],” it added.

A small majority, however, expect trouble if the elections turn out dirty.

“For most Filipinos [54 percent], trouble will result if the outcome of the coming elections is not considered clean and credible by the people,” Pulse Asia said.

Meanwhile, 33 percent of Filipinos are ambivalent on this issue and 12 percent do not think widespread protests will take place in case the results of the May 2010 polls are questionable.

It was also discovered that if the election results will not be clean and credible, most Filipinos (58 percent) will support but will not join any protests or demonstrations that may arise.

The latest Pulse Asia survey was conducted from January 22 to 26 using face-to-face interviews of 1,800 representative adults 18 years old and above.

Pulse Asia’s nationwide survey has a plus or minus 2 percent error margin while estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following error margins: plus or minus 6 percent for Metro Manila; plus or minus 4 percent for the rest of Luzon; and plus or minus 5 percent for each of Visayas and Mindanao. –ROMMEL C. LONTAYAO Reporter, Manila Times