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Staff Reporter
Voter education is crucial, but only 52% of respondents in a survey labelled the education campaign run by the Electoral Commission of South Africa as “beneficial” and “somewhat useful.”
In a boost for democracy, a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) survey found that voters’ trust in the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was high.
More than 16 million citizens cast their votes in the National and Provincial Elections (NPE) on Wednesday, 29 May, translating into a voter turnout of 58.61%
The HSRC’s preliminary findings on the survey conducted on Election Day, as South Africans voted, marking 30 years since the historic first democratic elections in 1994.
The HSRC released its preliminary findings on Friday at the IEC National Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand.
Regarding the level of information, roughly 13% stated that they had far too little information, and 10% said they had too little information about the voting procedures.
Meanwhile, 42% said that the IEC website was “very useful” in providing information and education, and 23% said it was “somewhat useful.”
With more than 40 million citizens eligible to vote and 28 million registered to participate, turnout was low.
In the Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS), voters were asked questions about the election process, including whether the 2024 NPE were free and fair.
The survey aimed to establish the opinions and perceptions of voters and their electoral experience. The research sampled 300 voting stations selected countrywide, proportional to race, geographic type and the number of voting stations in each province.
“Trust in the Electoral Commission was high, and almost all voters felt that they were safe to cast their ballot in secrecy,” the survey found.
According to the HSRC’s Dr Benjamin Roberts, trust in the country’s election management body is at an all-time high of 80%.
“The trust in the commission remains dominant… Amongst the general public, trust in the commission has been declining, as it has in all core political institutions over the last decade and a half, although the IEC remains among the trusted institutions in the country.
“But obviously, the voting public trust is much higher.”
Roberts believes this is predominantly because those who had a positive experience left the
aspect of the queuing time, which translates to the institution’s validation.
“The other reason is that for many South Africans, the predominant response to unhappiness with the function of the political system is the abstention and not electoral turnout. We’re finding increasing polarisation of happier voters and discontent and abstinence. That’s what’s probably driving the positive evaluations,” said Roberts.
Meanwhile, results indicated that voters overwhelmingly believed the 2024 NPE were free and fair and positively rated the conduct of officials at voting stations.
“Almost all voters felt safe to cast their ballot in secrecy,” said Roberts.
The majority of voters also felt that the IEC adequately considered the needs of vulnerable groups, including older people and people with disabilities.
However, the finding showed that queuing times at voting stations increased relative to more recent elections, which affected electoral evaluations.
In addition, most voters were pleased with the ballot papers, with 58% indicating they were “delighted” and 35% told researchers they were “satisfied”.
However, 38% wanted to improve the ballot paper for future elections.
In addition, fewer people believe their vote counts than those who think they must vote.
Shifting the focus to coercion, 12% reported experiencing someone trying to force them to vote for a particular political party or candidate, while nine % said it happened before Election Day.
Four percent said they were forced by party agents, and four per cent by friends and family.
“Of those reporting coercion, 73% reported that it had no bearing on electoral choice, 25% said it did, and two were uncertain. This translates into three per cent of all voters who changed their vote,” Roberts said.
INSIDE EDUCATION