RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Abac given the okay to conduct exit polls

MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Abac Poll has been given permission to conduct exit polls at voting stations on Sunday.

Election Commissioner Sodsri Sattayatham said yesterday it was agreed pollsters could make a survey of voters' preferences on election day, but they must not bother people before they vote, must not be aggressive and must wait until they leave the polling station.

Pollsters have been upset over the EC's ban on surveys.

The commission has prohibited the media from running results of popularity polls for the seven days before the election, and also banned the media from doing exit polls on election day.

Academics also criticised the ban as reflecting the election authority's belief that an exit poll would influence voters' decisions.

Abac Poll, run by Assumption University, recently approached the Election Commission about the possibility of running exit polls on Sunday.

Mrs Sodsri suggested the pollster present copies of the EC's approval letter to local election officials in provinces to ensure their cooperation.

Noppadol Kannikar, the director of Abac Poll, said 5,000 students and volunteers would fan out around the country with the aim of questioning one million voters.

He said Abac could not make exit polls during advance voting last weekend because EC staff at the provincial and district levels would not allow it for fear it would breach election regulations.

Now that Abac Poll had an official letter from the EC giving permission he did not expect any problems.

Voters would also be more willing to answer pollsters' questions, said Mr Noppadol.

He said polling a million voters should provide a clear result, very close to the official result.

 

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