Civil society opposes ban on exit polls, opinion polls

MULTAN: Civil society has strongly opposed the ban on access to exit polls and opinion polls before, during, and after elections nationwide, arguing that it infringes upon freedom of expression and restricts people’s access to information.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Coalition 38 and Pattan Development Organization said the Election Commission has the mandate under Article 218(3) of the Constitution to conduct ‘free, fair and lawful elections, and prevent corrupt practices’.

Both organizations were of the view that such restrictions would seriously undermine the constitutional mandate of the ECP, as it would encourage rigging without checks. Moreover, in a country with a history of rigging elections, this has not only created conflict but deepened political uncertainty. To mitigate these risks, it becomes even more important to conduct surveys to find out public opinion through scientific and robust methodology. Therefore, they strongly disagree with the decision of the ECP that this ban will ensure a level playing field for all political parties and candidates in elections and protect voters from any influence. For example, opinion polls and exit polls are being conducted in most countries. Also, there is no solid evidence available to prove that knowing public opinion can influence voter choice. It is important to cite the examples of Turkey and Brazil, where if a candidate does not get more than 50pc of the votes in the first round of polling, a second round of polling is held, but this process does not have any effect on the voter’s opinion. Moreover, if the elections turn out to be controversial, which is likely, the results of an independent and scientific survey will be of great help in clarifying their reality. The ban on surveys and exit polls should be lifted, they demanded.