Pulse Asia: Surveys have minor impact on voters' choices
MANILA, Philippines - Pulse Asia on Thursday said surveys only have a minimal effect on voters’ preference of electoral candidates.
“I agree that somehow, surveys affect [the voters’ preference]. In our surveys, 10 percent said that information they acquired from our surveys affect their voting preference,” Pulse Asia president Ronaldo Holmes told ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda (UKG).
Holmes, however, said that surveys’ influence on voting preference is compounded by the media which report and interpret the survey results.
Prof. Roberto Reyes of the University of the Philippines College of Public Administration also said in a UKG interview that based on studies, surveys have allegedly become powerful enough to dictate voters' choices.
Reyes said the surveys’ “bandwagon and trending effect” has helped shape the country’s electoral results since 1992.
“It affects the voting behavior. Surveys also affect key players in the election process, including volunteers, local leaders and non-government organizations,” he said.
Reyes claimed voters tend to be influenced more by survey results rather than the qualifications of each candidate.
“This is where the voter's right to vote wisely is violated,” he added.
Reyes also alleged that the bandwagon and trending effects of surveys disrupt the people’s ability to choose between a good and a bad candidate.
“This democratic process is disrupted by the power of the surveys,” he said.
Reyes, however, clarified that he is not disputing the scientific methods used by survey firms.
He added that he actually believes in the survey firms’ methods and research designs.
What he is against is the increasing power of surveys in conditioning the minds of voters.
He also said candidates lagging behind the surveys should be given a fair playing field vis-à-vis their opponents who lead in the surveys.
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Bastardized Surveys
Professionally-conducted and properly-designed surveys serve a valid function in determining the public pulse AS OF A SPECIFIC POINT IN TIME. It is the dubiously-made surveys and their sponsors who make a mockery of its purpose and use these to create an aura of inevitability in the public mind. It also does not help if certain personalities in media offer a twisted and distorted analysis of the survey results to favor certain candidates. This has diminished electoral surveys in many people's eyes who equate such surveys to blatant propagandistic attempts to force a trend.
Publicly-aired surveys should be banned from print and broadcast media at least a month from elections as these become tools of confusion.
abscbn needs an ethics case
abscbn needs an ethics case not villar...
please be fair on broadcasting.
you are a media institution and should be the reflection of the society not altering the reflection of the society.
Too Much Surveys
I believe that over doing these surveys will one of these days irritate the voting public and will back fire against these candidates. Minsan, sa sobrang maawain ng pinoy, pinapanigan pa nila ang mga nagiging kulelat sa mga survey dahil feeling nila na masyado naaapi ang mga ito.
I agree with Prof. Reyes.
I agree with Prof. Reyes.
ABS-CBN and all other broadcasting networks MUST also STOP airing these pieces of craps.
These sort of things are so darn violating the fairness of the playing field for those who are lagging behind. And worse than that is the dubious purpose of the survey results: conditioning the electorates' minds -- not to mention the credibility of these organizations conducting it.
So sick!