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Even before the height of electoral campaigns, surveys seem to be a big deal for voters, especially the candidates themselves. During night time on the news, SWS and Pulse Asia surveys are being announced on national television. The results create a big impact on viewers.

“’Wag n’yo sayangin ang boto n’yo sa alam n’yong matatalo lang.” (Don’t waste your vote for somebody you know is going to lose) That is what some people believe in. Their vote would go for the sure winners due to popularity brought by these surveys. With the aide of these surveys, voters can keep track of who is leading the race and who is not, and candidates can measure how much more effort should they exert in campaigning in order to make it to the top or maintain their rank.

On the other hand, some people still adhere to their beliefs and stick to the candidates they think would deserve the position – whether they win or not.

Surveys are done by selecting a number of people from all walks of life as a sample to represent the greater population but still with some human error. The results are obtained from these people’s choices during a certain period of time.

Despite the fact that the number of respondents in a survey is nothing compared to the actual number of voters in May 10, surveys are still the best tool to foresee the election results. This serves as a great advantage those who lead the survey results and a challenge for those who still do not.

Are surveys accurate?

Although surveys can foresee the election results they cannot be very accurate, yet, surveys could serve as a guide or as an informative tool for voters. There could still be underlying factors that make surveys subject to some errors.

In February of this year, the entire nation was shaken by the presidential survey results: Manny Villar tied the leading candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. This may have greatly influenced some voters but it is not consistent. Vice Presidentiable Mar Roxas still leads the race with a significantly huge percentage compared to his closest rival Loren Legarda. The senatorial candidates battle over the top 12 by means of advertising and other propaganda.

Some voters do not only rely on surveys on who to vote; they also depend on the candidates and the issues linked to them, their platforms, their experiences, et cetera. With all the controversies candidates are facing every day, are voters already confused?

Surveys can determine the trend of a candidate’s popularity based on their sample. For example, Mar Roxas has a -3% rating in the latest Social Weather Stations survey but he still leads the Vice Presidential race. However, this is just a quantified assumption. What surveys cannot accurately tell the voters is whether candidates, particularly those aiming for the only position, will actually win or not.

Whether voters use surveys to base their votes on or merely to be informed, these tests will always be useful in determining a candidate’s popularity in the entire nation.

Related posts:

1. Political Surveys: For Public Guidance or Tools to Mislead?
2. Manny Villar & Loren Legarda Tandem For 2010 Election
3. Vilma and Ralph Join Noy Noy Aquino and Mar Roxas
4. Noynoy Aquino: Noynoy Says No More
5. Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro: Dropping out of the Rat Race
6. Manny Villar is Misleading the Poor