Election Satisfaction Survey 2024

An Overview of Results

Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)

Research Division, HSRC

Date: 31 May 2024

A RESEARCH-DRIVEN ELECTION MANAGEMENT BODY (EMB)
Since the late 1990s, the Electoral Commission has partnered
with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) to
undertake a programme of electoral research.
This focuses on generating survey-based as well as qualitative
insight to inform operational planning and outreach.

• The Power of the X: Monitoring electoral predispositions

through the Voter Participation Survey (VPS) series: 23,806
surveyed to date
• The Voter’s Voice: Evaluating electoral experiences through
the Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) series; 118,541
surveyed to date
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2024 South African Elections: Measuring Voter Satisfaction
and Electoral Integrity
• On the 29th May 2024, the seventh National and
Provincial Elections (NPE) in South Africa took place.
• The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) was
commissioned by the Electoral Commission of South
Africa (IEC) to conduct a survey on the day of the
elections.
• The intention was to establish the opinions and
perceptions of voters on election day, understanding the
electoral experience of voters.
• In the Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS), voters were
asked a series of questions about the election process,
including whether the 2024 NPE were free and fair.
3
Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) series Methodology
• Aims: (i) to determine perceptions of voters regarding the freeness and fairness
of the electoral process; (ii) to assess the operational efficiency of the IEC in
managing elections.
• Sample design: included stratification; multi-stage procedure
• Database of voting stations obtained from Electoral Commission merged
with Census Enumerator Areas.
• National representative sample of 300 voting stations selected
countrywide, proportional to race, geographic type and the number of
voting stations in each province.
• At voting stations, fieldworkers randomly select 50 voters for interviewing
during Election Day to ensure a fair representation of voters.
• Realisation rate of 88%, 13,155 interviews completed with respondents in nine
provinces.
• Margin of error: Less than 1% 4
Time period of interview for the Election Satisfaction Survey,
2019 and 2024
40

35
2019 NPE
34
30 2024 NPE
30 31
29
25
23
20 22

15 17
14
10

0
07:00 - 10:30 10:31 - 14:00 14:01 - 17:30 17:31 - Close

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2019; 2024 5

Voter responses to the question, “When did you finally decide to vote
in this National and Provincial Election?”, 2019 and 2024

80
73 2019 NPE 2024 NPE
70 68

60

50

40

30

20 15
11 9
10 5 6 6
2 4
1
0
More than six months Between one month In the last month In the last week Today (Don't know)
ago and six months ago

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2019; 2024 6

How voters responded to the following question, “Did ANY of the
following reasons have a BIG influence on your decision to vote
today? I voted… “
Because my vote makes a difference 63%

Because it is my responsibility to vote 43%

To improve the economy 38%

To get good quality and reliable government services (such as

38%
electricity, water, rubbish removal)

To fight corruption 37%

To give another party a chance 27%

Because I like a particular leader or candidate 26%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2024 7

Voter responses to the question: “How long did you queue before
voting?", 2009-2024
100% 2
5 4
11 13 5 6 11
90% 21 6
9 8 14 15 10
80% 17
11 16 13
70% 19

60% 16

50%

40% 76 77
72
64 66
30% 60
52
20%

10%

0%
2009 NPE 2011 LGE 2014 NPE 2016 LGE 2019 NPE 2021 LGE 2024 NPE
15 minutes or less 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes Over 1 hour Uncertain

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024

8
Voter responses to the question, “How easy or difficult was it to find
your party or candidate of choice on the ballot papers?”, 2019 and
2024 (%)
80
69
70
61
60

50

40 2019 NPE
32
27 2024 NPE
30

20

10
3 4
1 2 1
0
Very easy Easy Neither easy nor Difficult Very difficult (Don't know)
difficult
Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2019;2024
9
 Improving the ballot papers for major government elections
• The vast majority of the voting population were pleased with the
ballot papers used at their voting station.
• 58% said that they were 'very satisfied' with the ballot papers
used in the election and 35% told us that they were 'satisfied’.
• 38% wanted to improve the ballot paper for future elections.
➢51% of those who wanted improvements favoured changing the size of
the party logos.
➢38% of those who wanted improvements wanted to change the number
of parties and candidates on the ballot paper
➢36% of those who wanted improvements supported altering the size of
the party name or acronym or the candidate's name
10
Voter responses to the question: “Are you satisfied with the quality of
service that the IEC officials provided to voters?", 2009-2024 (%)
100%
90%
24 28 28 28
80% 37 31 31
70%
60%
50%
40%
73 69 69 69
30% 59 65 63
20%
10%
0%
2009 NPE

2011 LGE

2014 NPE

2016 LGE

2019 NPE

2021 LGE

2024 NPE
Very satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied (Don't know)

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024 11

Voter evaluations of the performance and conduct of the
Election Commission officials
• As part of the ESS questionnaire, respondents were asked to
rate officials on seven different attributes (e.g., honesty and
professionalism).
• A clear majority of the voter population gave electoral officials
a positive rating on all seven of these indicators in the 2024
NPE.
• Of the seven, the indicator that received the most positive
evaluation from voters was 'helpful’. Almost nine-tenths (84%)
of voters described officials as helpful to ‘a great extent’.
• The indicator that received the lowest rating was 'impartial’.
71% said this applied ‘to a great extent’, while close to a tenth
stated that officials were not at all impartial (8%).
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Voter responses to the question: “To what extent did the voting
procedure at this voting station consider the needs of special
groups?”, 2024
Women with babies 54% 22%

Pregnant women 55% 20%

The partially sighted and blind 57% 19%

Persons with disabilities 65% 21%

The elderly 70% 21%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

To a great extent To some extent To a minor extent Not at all (Don't know)

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2024 13

Level of information voters had about voting procedures
• We found that 61% of voters thought the procedures inside
their voting station were ‘very easy’ to understand and 35%
stated that they were ‘easy’.
• Roughly a tenth (13%) stated that they had far too little
information and 10% said they had too little information
about the voting procedures.
• 42% of the voting population said that the IEC WEBSITE was
very useful in providing information and education. 23% said
‘somewhat useful’.
• 52% of the voting population said that the IEC VOTER
EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS was very useful in providing
information and education. 28% said ‘somewhat useful’.
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Voter responses to the question: “How effective was the IEC's voter
education campaign for these elections?", 2009-2024
100%
90%
80% 22 25 24
27 25
18 25
70%
60%
50%
40%
64 68 65 63 66
30% 62 59
20%
10%
0%
2009 NPE 2011 LGE 2014 NPE 2016 LGE 2019 NPE 2021 LGE 2024 NPE
Very effective Somewhat effective Not effective Uncertain

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024 15

Voter responses to the question: “Are you satisfied that your vote in
this voting station was secret?", 2009-2024
100%
90% 18
21 24
80% 29 27
34 31
70%
60%
50%
40% 81 76 73 69
68 64
30% 62

20%
10%
0%
2009 NPE

2011 LGE

2014 NPE

2016 LGE

2019 NPE

2021 LGE

2024 NPE
Very satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied (Don't know)

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024 16

 Self-reported coercion during the context of Election 2024

• In the context of Election 2024, 12% reported experiencing someone

trying to force them to vote for a certain political party or candidate
• 9% reported it happening before Election Day: 4% party agents and 4% friends
and family
• 4% while queuing: sources were 2% party agents; 1% friends and family; 1%
voters
• 2% inside voting station: sources were 1% party agents, 1% family and friends.
• Election officials barely mentioned as a source of electoral coercion (<1%)

• Of those reporting coercion, 73% reported that it had no bearing on

electoral choice; 25% said it did and 2% uncertain. This translates into
3% of all voters who changed their vote.

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024 17

Voter response to the question, “How confident are you that your
vote will be accurately counted?” - 2019 and 2024 compared
70
60
60

50 45
2019 NPE
40
33 2024 NPE

30 27

20
12
10 7 6
3 2
1 1 1
0
Completely Very confident Quite confident A little confident Not at all confident (Don't know)
confident

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2019;2024

18
Voter responses to the question: Do you think that the election
procedures were free?", 2009-2024
100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%
95 95 94 92 91 92
90
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
2009 NPE 2011 LGE 2014 NPE 2016 LGE 2019 NPE 2021 LGE 2024 NPE
Yes Yes with minor problems Not at all (Don't know)

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024 19

Voter responses to the question: “Do you think that the election
procedures were fair?", 2009-2024
100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%
95 94 94 92 91 92
90
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
2009 NPE 2011 LGE 2014 NPE 2016 LGE 2019 NPE 2021 LGE 2024 NPE
Yes Yes with minor problems Not at all (Don't know)

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2009-2024 20

 Reasons provided for perceived freeness and
fairness of NPE 2024
• Open ended questions on the reasons for perceived
freeness and fairness evaluations: coding using Atlas ti
• In narrating reasons for why participants saw the
elections as free and fair, several key concepts
emerged.
• A key response in narrating their view that the elections
were free and fair was the view that there was freedom
to make political choices without force, pressure or
intimidation.
• The data demonstrates the freedom to make political
choices is important in the mind of the voting public.
• It is there a critical construct that influences political
participation in elections. It remains key that all
stakeholders respect the values of political freedom to
make political choices.
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Perceived freeness and fairness of NPE 2024:
Key concepts informing judgements
• The voting public in the 2024 NPE places a high
value on having the political space, free from
intimidation, to make their political choices as they
see fit.
• The right to make political choices freely is a key
value held by the South African voting public.
• The right to choose also links with fairness. Here
participants narrated a view that fairness was
found in having sufficient space and agency to
make political choices when casting their votes
• It is critically important for electoral integrity that
there is sufficient voice and agency for the voting
public. This supports democratic legitimation and
support for the electoral process and outcomes.

22
Voter responses to the question, “Would you support or oppose
replacing paper ballots with electronic voting machines at voting
stations?” by time of day
100%
90% 16 16 13 12 15
80%
20 16
70% 22 22 21
60% 11 13
10 11
50% 12
40% 20 23 26 22
20
30%
20%
27 29 30 29 29
10%
0%
07:00 - 10:30

10:31 - 14:00

14:01 - 17:30

17:31 - Close

Total
Strongly support Support Neither support nor oppose Oppose Strongly oppose (Don't know)

Source: Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) 2024 23

 Queuing times and their impact of evaluations
PP difference
Up to 15 More than All (high minus
minutes 16- 30 m 31- 60 m 1- 2 hours 2 hours voters low)
Confidence that vote will be counted accurately (%
completely/ fairly) 81 78 74 71 63 79 18
Support for electronic voting (evoting) 47 53 60 62 64 51 17
Satisfaction with IEC officials 96 95 91 91 82 95 14
IEC officials were INTERESTED IN THEIR JOBS? 83 79 75 76 67 80 16
IEC officials were HELPFUL? 87 82 77 83 72 84 15
IEC officials were IMPARTIAL? 73 69 67 70 60 71 13
IEC officials were FRIENDLY? 85 82 76 78 70 82 15
IEC officials were PATIENT? 86 82 77 78 72 83 14
IEC officials were HONEST? 83 80 74 79 70 81 13
Trust in the IEC 87 83 81 81 74 84 13
Perceived fairness of NPE 2024 93 90 90 90 83 92 10
Safety and security 96 95 94 92 89 95 7
Perceived freeness of NPE 2024 93 90 88 89 86 92 7
Satisfaction with ballot paper 94 93 89 93 89 93 5

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 Concluding Remarks
• The ESS 2024 assessed voters' views on the election process,
including its integrity, and evaluated the operational efficiency
of the IEC.
• Results indicated that voters overwhelmingly believed the 2024
NPE were free and fair, and they positively rated the conduct of
officials at voting stations.
• Trust in the Election Commission was high and almost all voters
felt that they were safe to cast their ballot in secrecy.
• The majority of voters felt that the IEC adequately considered
the needs of vulnerable groups (e.g., elderly and people with
disabilities).
• But queuing time at voting stations increased relative to more
recent elections, which had a bearing on electoral evaluations
25