The Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC’s) elections satisfaction survey (ESS) has found that 84% of voters were completely or very confident that their vote would be accurately counted.

South African went to the polls on Monday to select representatives for local government.

The research is based on random voting stations and about 12 000 voters were interviewed. Voters were asked about their experiences and whether they believed the election was free and fair.

The HSRC selected a sample of 300 voting stations across provinces and interviewed 50 voters at each of the voting stations.

HSRC acting strategic leader and research director Dr Benjamin Roberts presented the preliminary findings of the ESS to the Electoral Commission, further explaining that the survey found that 52% of voters were completely confident in the counting process while 32% of voters were very confident.

Only 1% said they were not confident at all in the vote counting process.

The survey also found that 95% of voters believed that the 2021 local government election was free and fair.

He said this ranged between 90% in Western Cape to 98% in Mpumalanga.

He added that similarly 94% of the voters were of the opinion that the elections procedures were fair.

The survey found that 68% of voters took less than 15 minutes to reach their voting stations, with 22% taking between 16 minutes and half an hour, and almost 10% of voters took a little longer.

Overall, 86% of voters found the voting station easily accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly, while only 7% did not.

Roberts highlighted that 96% of voters reported dissatisfaction with the instructions and signage to the voting stations, while 97% found the voting procedures inside the voting station easily understandable.

“In terms of the perceived secrecy of the vote at voting stations, 96% of voters expressed satisfaction with the secrecy of the vote. This varied between 94% in the Northern Cape and North West, up to 99% in Limpopo,” said Roberts.

He went on to explain that 96% of voters were in general satisfied with the quality of services rendered by the electoral staff, with 3% opting for a neutral point of view and only 1% dissatisfied.

This dissatisfaction ranged between 93% in North West and Gauteng, and 98% in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Roberts said voters were asked to rate seven aspects of the conduct of IEC electoral staff at their voting stations, overall there was a very positive assessment of officials. Eighty-one per cent rated officials as extremely helpful, 80% friendly, 80% patient, 79% honest, 78% professional and 78% as interested in their jobs.

SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES AT VOTING STATIONS

Ninety-three per cent of voters expressed satisfaction with the safety and security that was provided at voting stations, 2% were discontent with such measures and 4% were either neutral or uncertain.

Roberts said this ranged between 89% in Gauteng and 98% in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga.

He stated that the 2021 elections were undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying voters were asked to assess the safety protocols that the IEC had put in place.

Ninety-two per cent of voters were convinced that the IEC had done enough to protect voters from Covid-19 at voting stations, only 3% were dissatisfied and 5% were neutral or uncertain.

Roberts said this varied between 84% in Western Cape and 98% in Mpumalanga.

Sixty-eight per cent of voters said they were vaccinated.