6 of 10 Pinoys remain clueless about automation – Pulse Asia

Five months going into the May 2010 polls, a big majority of Filipinos remains clueless about the automated elections, pollster Pulse Asia said Thursday. A survey conducted by Pulse Asia from October 22 to 30 revealed that six out of 10 Filipinos, or 61 percent of the 1,800 respondents, have little to no knowledge at all about the automation that will be implemented in the upcoming polls. According to the survey, the lack of knowledge about automation is most pronounced among the poor and very poor Filipinos (Classes D and E), where up to 47 percent or close to half of the respondents admitted knowing little about the automated polls. In contrast, only one in every four Filipinos said they have enough knowledge about the automated election system. An even a smaller percentage, 13 percent of the respondents, said they have a great deal of knowledge about poll automation. Pulse Asia also said that public indecision about the automation remains high at 43 percent, although another four in 10 think that the automatic counting of votes will result in cleaner elections in 2010. Optimism about the automated polls is highest among the very poor (Class E) at 47 percent, the survey showed. Similarly, a big majority of Filipinos (or 67 percent of the respondents) believes it is "highly likely" that the elections will proceed as scheduled on May 10, 2010. Only 10 percent, or one in every ten Filipinos, think next year’s polls will not take place. Although a positive outlook about the 2010 elections is prevalent, a near majority of Filipinos, or 49 percent, thinks there will be much trouble in the country in case next year’s automated polls do not push through. The same Pulse Asia survey also showed that almost one in every two Filipinos, or 49 percent of the respondents, is inclined to support but not join protests and public actions that might arise in case the May 2010 polls will not proceed as scheduled. Pulse Asia’s survey involving election-related questions was conducted using face-to-face interviews with 1,800 adults across the country. According to the pollster, its latest survey results have a margin of error of plus or minus two percent. - RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV