IEC election satisfaction survey 2014

Abstract

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) was commissioned by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to conduct a survey on the 2014 National and Provincial Elections. The 2014 elections, held on the 7th of May 2014, were the fifth national and provincial elections to be held in South Africa since 1994. The intention of the 2014 Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) was to determine opinions and perceptions of both voters and election observers regarding the freeness and fairness of the electoral process. A further aim of the study was to assess the operational efficiency of the IEC in managing the 2014 local government elections. The study was conducted among two groups of respondents, namely (i) South Africans who voted in the 2014 Elections and (ii) local and international elections observers. The target population for the voter component of the study was individuals aged 18 years and older who were South African citizens, and who were eligible to vote in the 2014 national and provincial elections. The study also conducted interviews among local and international election observers visiting the selected voting stations on Election Day.