Ateneo de Davao University to hold own mock polls

ATENEO de Davao University (ADDU) will be holding mock polls that will belittle all the mock polls so far held, with a targeted electoral body of 12,000.

The mock poll was announced after the Mindanao Presidential Forum Tuesday. Students of voting age, teachers, staff and non-teaching personnel will be participating in the mock polls.

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ADDU College Political Science and History Program coordinator Roda Emilio said the school has arranged for an automated mock poll within the Jacinto campus.

"The Computer Science division has arranged for software wherein the mock voters will only have to click the numbers corresponding to their chosen candidates. This poll will cover from the president down to the local levels," Emilio said in an interview after Kapihan sa SM media forum at SM City Mall.

Emilio said the poll body would only have to scan the bar codes in their IDs to get to join the mock polls. "The poll areas will be located at strategic areas perhaps near the elevator," Emilio said.

Fr. Kim Lachica S.J., who spoke during the forum, said they expect the mock polls to be successful.

"We hope what we're doing for Ateneo will receive follow through from other institutions as well. The results of this mock poll will really hold a significance because it will be a first genuine mock polls and hopefully the biggest also," Lachica said.

In response to whether ADDU has scholars financed by politicians, Lachica said "perhaps there are a few."

But he believes this will not have much bearing on how the studentry will vote.
"We expect that the mock polls' results would really come from a voting public that is free of influences," Lachica said.

ADDU hosted Tuesday the first presidential forum in Mindanao in cooperation with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. among others.