Filipinos 'satisfied’ with May 2010 elections; give Smartmartic the thumbs up

By Gloria Jane Baylon

MANILA, July 29 (PNA)--Seventy-five percent of Filipinos are “satisfied” with the general conduct of the May 2010 automated elections, the highest such regard when compared with 2004 and 2007, according to pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS).

In the 2004 presidential elections, just 53 per cent was satisfied with the conduct of that year’s election, where now-Congressman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the winner of the highest post amid accusations of alleged vote-rigging. In the 2007 mid-term elections, 51 per cent was satisfied.

Nevertheless, a complementary survey of 480 poll workers who served in the last elections showed they are “much more satisfied” at 78 per cent than is the general public.

In the same survey, teachers serving in the Board of Election Inspectors in the precincts received the highest public satisfaction among seven selected institutions involved in the recent polls, with the Philippine National Police second and the Armed Forces of the Philippines third.

The survey also found 70 per cent satisfied with SMARTMATIC Corp. regarding its role in ensuring the PCOS machines work properly.

SWS conducted the survey from June 25 to 28 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide.

The SWS survey questions about the people’s evaluation of the May 2010 automated elections are part of the Electoral Reforms Survey Module of The Asia Foundation (TAF).

The findings were presented today by TAF and SWS in the People's Evaluation of the May 2010 Automated Elections Center in a meeting.

SWS said it employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data-processing, and analysis, and does not outsource any of its survey operations. (PNA)
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