The Electoral Commission has published findings from ten to fifteen years of survey research into South African electoral democracy — and on the questions the Commission itself controls, the numbers are strong.
The findings were presented at a research seminar hosted by the Commission in Johannesburg on 21 September 2022, attended by political parties, media, civil society, academics and researchers.
Three Headline Findings
- The Electoral Commission is the second most trusted public institution in South Africa. The courts are first.
- 92% of the voting public consider the electoral processes free and fair.
- 97% are satisfied with the secrecy of their vote.
These are highlights only. The full research reports are available from elections.org.za, and the presentations are linked from the Commission’s own announcement.
What the Seminar Was Actually For
Scholars and academics presented analyses of surveys run over more than a decade, tracking how voter perceptions, experiences and evaluations of electoral democracy have shifted — and what lies behind those shifts. They then worked with the Commission, its partners and stakeholders on what could be done to improve them.
The Commission will harness the positive elements arising from these longitudinal surveys while working with all the actors in the political system to address the negative perceptions about electoral democracy.
Sy Mamabolo, Chief Electoral Officer
Challenges falling within the Commission’s own remit, he said, would be factored into the electoral programme ahead of the 2024 elections.
Why This Matters for Voter Education
The most common reason people give for not registering is some version of “it won’t be counted properly” or “it won’t be secret”. This research answers both directly, with a decade of data rather than reassurance: 97% are satisfied that their vote is secret, and 92% that the process is free and fair.
Note carefully what the findings do not say. They measure confidence in the administration of elections — the ballot, the count, the secrecy — not satisfaction with what governments do afterwards. Those are separate questions, and conflating them is how a fair grievance about delivery turns into a decision not to register at all.
Read the Electoral Commission’s announcement and access the presentations →
Summarised from a statement issued by the Electoral Commission of South Africa, 21 September 2022. Figures are quoted as reported; the note on what the findings do and do not measure is SAMNET’s.
Shared by the South African Muslim Network in the interests of promoting awareness, education and greater public participation in civil society. info@samnet.co.za