DESPITE glitches and minor setback, about 70 percent of the Filipino voters who participated in the May 10 polls are satisfied with the performance of the supplier of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.
In the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) covering June 25 to 28, 2010, 70 percent of the voters said the machines works properly contrary to reports that a great number of the computers bogged down during the election period.
The SWS survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 voting adults in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Of the 1,200 respondents 75 percent are similarly satisfied while 15 percent were not satisfied.
The same survey also showed that the people are satisfied with how the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other institutions like the National Police, the Armed Forces, and election watchdogs handled various aspects of the elections.
Aside from the 1,200 respondents, the SWS also interviewed 480 board of elections inspectors who served in the May polls, in which 90 percent of the poll workers are satisfied.
This year's public approval in the conduct of the elections is highest than the two previous polls.
In 2004, 53 percent were satisfied and 35 percent were dissatisfied, while 51 percent were satisfied and 32 percent were dissatisfied in 2007 elections.
Compared to June 2007, satisfaction with the performance of the Comelec in ensuring peace and order rose by 14 points among the general public, from 60 percent to 74 percent. Also, it rose by 8 points among election workers, from 87 percent to 95 percent.
On the voter registration, the approval increased by 15 points among the general public, from 57 percent to 72 percent while it is higher by 8 points among election workers, from 74 percent to 82 percent.
Meantime, the survey noted that information given to voters about registration and voting, satisfaction with the Comelec among the public rose by 13 points, from 59 percent to 72 percent. It climbed by 7 points among election workers, from 74 percent to 81 percent.
The approval for the counting of votes in the precinct level rose by 14 points among the general public, from 54 percent to 68 percent. It rose by 6 points among BEIs, from 91 percent to 97 percent.
Compared to June 2007, satisfaction with the Comelec on the consolidation of vote counts at the city/municipal and provincial level rose by 20 points among the general public, from 48 percent to 68 percent. Among the BEIs, it rose by 17 points, from 75 percent to 92 percent.
The survey also found higher public approval of the performance of selected institutions during the May 2010 elections, compared to the 2007 elections.
Of the seven institutions tested in the survey, public satisfaction is highest for teachers served as BEIs in the precincts on ensuring clean and orderly voting, with 86 percent satisfied in June 2010, 12 points up from 74 percent in June 2007.
With regards to maintaining peace and order, 84 percent are satisfied with the National Police and 82 percent are satisfied with the Armed Forces.
Compared to June 2007, satisfaction with the Comelec in proclaiming as winners those who truly got the most votes rose by 12 points, from 65 percent to 77 percent.
Satisfaction with the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on honest reporting of the vote count rose by 11 points, from 64 percent in June 2007 to 75 percent in June 2010 while satisfaction with the Legal Network For Truthful Elections (Lente) on guarding the canvass of votes in the municipality and provinces rose by 10 points, from 56 percent to 66 percent.
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).
TAF is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. The group supports Asian initiatives to improve governance, law, and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; sustainable development and the environment; and international relations. (MSN/Sunnex)